Just Like the Movies
by DeltaSwan90
Summary: Edward is a famous actor who isn't satisfied with his life. He and his good friend Alice are off to film the newest superhero flick. After a fight with his boss, he ends up meeting someone who may just change the way he feels about his life. AU/AH ExB
1. Prologue: As Good As it Gets

_This is my first fic, so I would definitely appreciate reviews of any kind, good or bad! And let me know if you want to read more!_

_Disclaimer: I, of course, don't own Twilight or any of its wonderful characters._

Just Like the Movies

Prologue

As Good As it Gets

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me," I muttered to myself… mostly.

"Yep! That's right we've gotten approval. We'll be flying out to Chicago next week!" Alice said, not willing to ignore my musings.

I was so tired of this bullshit. They had changed the location of our filming site three times already. And why Alice felt the need to come over and tell me in person, I'll never know. She busied herself in the kitchen, getting something to drink, and I settled myself on the couch.

"And you're sure that they've made up their minds?"

"Positive, they won't mess with us anymore so chill out, Edward, okay?" I glared at her.

Alice, she had been there for me since my big break. She had been a confidante and the sister I never had. But at times like these, I found I'd rather talk to a 12-year-old about politics than listen to her tell me, yet again, to "chill out."

She and I didn't hang out often, but we spoke on the phone quite a bit. Hard to believe it's been almost five years since I'd first met her. We had actually had been paired together to audition for a romantic comedy. She practically bounced into the audition with her bright smile and spiky black hair. Not to mention the look of knowing that was always glimmering in her hazel eyes. She was a natural. Unfortunately, neither of us got the roles, but we did each gain a friend. Something I was seriously lacking since I'd left home.

I was extremely grateful to her for her friendship so, I brought her to my home back in Phoenix for Thanksgiving as a thank you one year. Her family was on vacation in Europe at the time and I didn't want her to have to spend the holiday alone. I introduced her to my parents, Carlisle and Esme… and my younger brother, Jasper.

To say it was love at first sight would be an understatement. Before the end of the evening Alice was calling my mother "Mom" and had snuck outside with Jasper to make out… twice. They started dating two days later. Jasper even had the audacity to ask me if it was okay. I assured him that I didn't see Alice that way, and now those two saps couldn't be happier together.

"Come on Edward! Aren't you even a little bit excited? Well, I mean its old hat for you now I suppose, but this is my first BIG movie role! I will be sad to leave Hollywood though; I wonder what shopping is like…." She rambled on as I let my thoughts wander to "leaving Hollywood."

Ah, Hollywood. A useless hub of human existence. There was not a pure soul within the city limits… I wasn't sure a pure soul existed anymore. Alice was great and all, but she, too, had become obsessed with designer clothes and labels and such. The fact that she was still chatting away proved it. She wouldn't wear the same article of clothing twice if she could help it.

It was extremely easy to get caught up with the glitz and glamour lifestyle in this city. Especially if you were making the kind of money Alice and I were making. I, myself, was not immune to the wonders of Hollywood. Every night there was a new club to go out to, a new drink to try. And I would be lying to myself if I said that I always felt the way I do about Hollywood. I used to love it here. It was my escape from a normal life. All the new people to meet, not to mention the attention I got. I used to eat that shit up. People screaming your name, asking for your autograph, it was great. Although, recently that attention had been getting out of hand. I yearned for the time when I could walk out my front door and not have to dodge cameras. I didn't exactly help matters however. I had been on the cover of at least 6 magazines this month. I could say no, but the studios were counting on me to make money, not for me, but for them. And because I was as selfish and greedy as everyone else on the planet, I did it. I soaked up all the limelight I could. Luckily, my girlfriend didn't seem to mind. In fact she loved being my arm candy. She took care of me. And….I…. love her. So here I am, Hollywood's new golden boy. I have steady work and a hefty paycheck. My family is caring and involved with my life. I have a good friend in Alice. And I have a girlfriend.

I have every reason in the world to be happy.

But, I'm not.

My life, to everyone seemed perfect. For anyone else this life would be perfect. Why did I insist on making things so difficult for myself? Why couldn't I just be happy? Even Alice couldn't make me smile anymore. As much as I liked her, as much as she had done for me, she was still just like them. Consumed with the desire to fit in, to be accepted, to get ahead.

"EDWARD!" Alice shouted when she realized I wasn't paying attention to her anymore.

"WHAT!?" I shouted right back at her

"Ugh, never mind, I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?" She sighed as she made her way to the door.

"Yeah, fine. See you, Alice."

Everything had just turned into this jumbled mess. Nothing made sense anymore. I did my best to put on a happy face... and smile for the camera. But, nothing helped. I argued with everyone. Every little thing irritated me. And on top of my already confused mind was the constant stream of screaming girls trying to get in my pants. I couldn't go anywhere anymore without being recognized. It was extremely frustrating. At least Alice was still fairly unrecognizable. But not me. Whenever we'd go out together we would be relentlessly mobbed by paparazzi. If we could get by them, someone else would realize who I was, and we would be badgered with completely unnecessary and overly personal questions… usually along the lines of, "Will you marry me?"

I made my way back to my bedroom, eager for sleep. Alice and I had been cast in the newest superhero flick. It was her first big break, and I was really happy for her. Unfortunately, the film required a suburban setting, and apparently they had found the perfect site in Chicago. I, of course, was to play the high flying hero. Alice was playing my quirky sidekick. Ah, the irony. Funny how sometimes life can be just like the movies. I chuckled darkly, _sometimes is stretching it._ Life was so rarely like a movie, especially my life. Very few people get their happily –ever-afters. And quite frankly, very few people deserved one.

_So what did you think? The other chapters will be longer, this was just an intro._

_I do want to send a shout out to the ladies over at the forums, you all know who you are and you're totally awesome._

_Thanks for reading!_

_~Delta_


	2. Pay it Forward

_Hello Hello! It's time for the story to officially start!_

_Disclaimer: Don't own Twilight. Wish I owned Edward._

Just Like the Movies

Chapter 1

Pay it Forward

Alice and I made it to the airport on time. We were taking the studio's private jet to Chicago. We would then take up residence in the city of Blue Island for the next two months. Luckily, we could stay in the five star hotels in the city. I could stay in a shack for all I cared; but, the five star hotels were supreme when it came to privacy, and that's all I cared about.

I glanced around the terminal. My girlfriend was supposed to meet us before we left. I haven't seen her in a few days. She most likely forgot. Not that I minded, most of our relationship was carried out over the phone. The only time I ever saw her is when we went to the clubs. That would happen once or twice a week. We didn't spend time together otherwise. I don't even think we'd gone out to eat together since we started dating. It was just how our relationship worked.

As we sat around waiting for the okay to board, a familiar squeaky voice shouted out from behind me.

"Hey, baby! Didn't you want to see me before you left?"

I got up and turned just in time to see the petite figure of my girlfriend throw her arms up around my neck and plaster her lips to my face.

"Hi, Tanya," I said, half smiling at her.

"I can't stay long. I just wanted to see you before you left."

"Yes, Tanya, I left you a message yesterday to tell you to come and see me off remember?"

"Oh, yeah!" She said in tone that had me questioning her intelligence rather than her memory.

Tanya was a model, so I tended to get along with her better than most people. She was certainly gorgeous, with her long, wavy, strawberry blonde hair and legs that stretched for miles. We have been dating for 8 months, and well, that's about all there is too say. She and Alice didn't get along. Tanya had a problem "dealing with women". At least that's how she had explained it to me when she refused to go out to dinner with me if Alice was going to be there. So I didn't push the issue. She may be superficial, but she was nice enough, most of the time.

Being in a relationship with Tanya was… convenient. I would get a call from my manager telling me that I was supposed to make an appearance at some club. I would call Tanya and tell her where to meet me. We'd show up at the club arm in arm, pose for pictures, get drunk, go back to my place, and then have hot, drunken sex.

She'd usually be gone before I woke up.

I vaguely got the sense that she might be using me to gain attention, but I was using her right back. Because I had a girlfriend it tended to keep other women at bay. Not all the time, but enough that I noticed the difference.

Close behind Tanya was her assistant, Kate. She was certainly looking down-trodden. Her normally well-kept blonde hair was tied back in a messy bun, her clothes were all disheveled, and she was juggling her bag, her cell phone, some packages and Tanya's bag. I couldn't imagine what Tanya was making her do. Kate just happened to be 5 months pregnant. She and her husband, Garrett, had been trying to have a child for years. It was nothing short of a miracle that they were expecting now. I just hoped that Tanya would understand…

"I'm going to miss you SO much! Promise you'll call as often as you can!" She pouted

"Of course, but I don't know how busy we'll be. You know how it is." I tried to soothe, rubbing her back.

"Uh huh," she said nuzzling her face in my chest. Suddenly she snapped her head up and shouted, "Kate!" Tanya turned to her as Kate started to mumble something on her cell phone.

"What did I tell you about personal calls? I know it's personal; because, _I _didn't tell you to call anyone, now did I?" Tanya yelled.

Kate became flustered and mumbled a quick goodbye into the phone. "Uh, I'm sorry Ms. Stoker, I was just trying to call Garrett, I have a doctor's appointment this afternoon…"

"Whatever, just don't let it happen again." Tanya turned back to me, "Are you going to miss me too, baby?" It was amazing how quickly her moods changed. It was hard to keep up.

"Yes, Tanya, very much," I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

"Good, okay well I've gotta run. Bye baby, love you! Oh and make sure Alice knows to keep her hands to herself," she kissed me again then grabbed her cell phone from her purse (which was still in Kate's hands) and began texting away.

"What, no kiss for me?" Alice sneered at Tanya after she was out of earshot.

"Be nice, Alice."

"Yeah, tell that to her."

We arrived in Chicago on Sunday and immediately got to work. It was summer and working outside in the heat wasn't easy. Alice was doing a much better job at hiding her discomfort than I was. Almost every scene was done outside, and it was becoming more and more difficult for me to control my temper. We spent the first few days shooting ridiculous hours, and by Thursday morning, I was ready for a break. Our director, Mr. Howard, was usually good about letting people go. So I decided today was as good a day as any to drive around and try to calm my nerves.

"Mr. Howard," I started kindly, "I was hoping that I could get away from the set for a few hours. I won't be going far; I'd just like to get a bite to eat."

"I'm not sure, Edward, I mean, you're in almost every scene. If you leave, then well, we won't really have anything to work with."

"You said _almost_ every scene, why can't you just do some reshoots of Alice's side of the conversations? Or some of the stunt work? Certainly you can mange without me for a while." This was ridiculous; they didn't need me around for all that stuff.

"Listen, Edward, I know you usually get your way, but I'm sorry, we just have too much to do and too little time to do it in." My temper flared.

"What do you mean 'I usually get my way'?"

"Seriously? You're not a child, Edward. You're an adult. Adults have jobs and they are expected to do those jobs and not throw a tantrum every time things don't go their way."

"Have I been anything other than polite to you since we got here?" I snarled through my teeth.

"Well… no, but I've heard of some of your better stunts, and I will tell you now that kind of thing won't be tolerated on my set."

"I see, well then I guess I'll just have to leave 'your set,'" I didn't wait to hear his reply. I fumed all the way to my rental car, ignoring the phone buzzing in my pocket. I don't care who you are; no one speaks to me that way.

I got in my car, and I drove. I paid absolutely no attention to where I was going. Eventually, I found a highway that allowed me to speed. Driving always seemed to calm me down. And this little trek proved to be no exception. When I had driven an hour outside of the city, I realized that I had no idea how to get back. I groaned and turned around. I finally came across a road sign that said Blue Island. I exited the highway and ended up in what I assumed was the downtown area. There were quaint shops and maple trees lining the street. But, none of it looked familiar. I was going to have to stop and ask for directions… great.

I came across a small restaurant named Roger's. It seemed fairly deserted, and I was hungry, so this would be as good a place as any to commence with the torture. I parked my car on the street and made my way to the door. I stopped to buy a newspaper from a machine. Newspapers are always good when you want to hide your face.

Just as I assumed, there were only three people in the whole place and two of them were employees. It was easy to tell since they both had on greasy aprons. They were a charming older couple, and they were talking quietly to one another. The third person was a young mousy woman, dressed in jeans, chucks, and a t-shirt _doesn't she realize its 90 degrees outside?_ She didn't notice me, her nose was buried deep in a book.

The older woman came over to greet me. She was petite and almost a foot shorter than me. She had reddish curly hair styled into that familiar grandmother bob. She had on thin wire framed glasses that sat low on her nose.

"Hi, there, dear, welcome to Roger's! Right this way," she said sweetly.

She led me over to a booth that sat facing the windows, my back to the wall, which was nice so I could watch the door and avoid anyone who might come in. You could see the people walking and enjoying themselves outside, the sunlight streaming through the dusty curtains on the windows. The whole restaurant seemed worn. The leather covering the chairs and booths was faded and had tears. The tables sported paper napkin dispensers, salt, pepper, silverware, and paper placemats. There was even and old jukebox in the corner with a small open area for dancing. It was absolutely charming.

"Can I get you something to drink?"

"Just water; thank you," I was stunned. It was the first time in years that I was able to order at a restaurant like a normal person.

"Okay, I'll be right back," she slowly made her way over to the counter, grabbing a glass of water and a pitcher of iced tea.

I couldn't help but smile as I looked over the menu. It reminded me of home, when my grandmother would take care of me when I was younger.

"Here you are, dear," she said, placing the glass on my table, "Are you ready to order?"

"Uh, just a cheeseburger and fries, thank you."

"Coming right up." Her smile was contagious. She took my menu and walked over to the younger woman sitting at a table, with her feet propped up on a chair in the middle of the restaurant. She refilled her empty glass with iced tea without saying a word. It made the young woman jump and look up from her book. Once she realized what was happening, she smiled at the older woman, "Thanks, Janetta."

Janetta, it fit her perfectly. It was exactly the kind of name a grandmother should have.

"You're welcome, sweetheart." Janetta crooned sweetly.

As Janetta walked back she spoke to the older gentleman back in the kitchen. "Hey Paul, I need a number two."

"What do I look like? A chef or something?"

Janetta tutted him, and he laughed. They smiled at each other.

I busied myself reading my newspaper, just enjoying the peace and quiet. It was so… nice, so... refreshing. Of course, it couldn't last. After a few minutes, I heard the door open and a familiar type of squeal.

"OH. MY. GOD." I cringed behind my paper. I knew that type of squeal. It could only mean one thing; fangirl. How in the hell did she see me? She sounded young. I really was not in the mood to deal with this… I would probably end up being rude. I sighed and braced myself for the rest.

"You're Bella Swan, aren't you?!"

What?

I peeked over the top of my paper. Sure enough a young girl of about 16 was standing in the doorway, but she wasn't staring at me. She was staring at the woman sitting in the middle of the restaurant. She once again looked up from her book. "Yes?"

"Oh, I knew it!" She squealed again as she ran over to her table. Now if this had been me I would have remained rooted in my seat and done everything in my power to get this girl away from me. Anyone who has to deal with fans would react that way, especially when they interrupt a "normal" moment. When we celebrities are out at club or on the red carpet, we expect that type of reaction. But, when we're eating at a restaurant or shopping we just want to be left alone. At least, that's what I thought.

As the girl approached, this Bella set her book down, stood up, _and shook the girl's hand._ I was shocked. I couldn't help but eavesdrop…

"I saw you at the finals show last summer! It was unbelievable!" the girl gushed.

"Thank you. Yeah it was quite the experience," Bella replied sweetly.

"Are you going back this year?"

"No, I can't say that I am. I've…" she hesitated, "…gone back to school, and I just don't have time for it anymore," She replied.

"Oh that's too bad. I always wanted to join a troupe; I just never got around to it," the girl said sadly.

"Don't let anything hold you back. If it's something you want to do, the sacrifices you make to get there are worth it, trust me," Bella told the girl.

"Yeah? Well, thanks I guess I'll look into it again. I doubt I'll be good enough to get in…" the girl said almost to herself.

"I'm certain if you work hard, you'll do just fine." Bella smiled.

"That's good to hear." At that moment some kids knocked on the window of the restaurant and shouted through the glass "Come on, Ashley!"

"Oh, those are my friends. They said I was crazy to come in here and talk to you." They laughed.

"Of course not, it was a pleasure talking to you, best of luck!" Bella replied, perfectly polite.

"Thanks again!" Ashley said, and she ran out the door to meet her friends.

I was stunned to say the least. Even when I first started getting noticed, I was always awkward and uncomfortable around fans. After a while it got beyond annoying so I took to hiding behind newspapers in deserted restaurants. How is it that this woman was so kind? So... thoughtful?

Bella was still standing. She let out a sigh, not exasperated or annoyed, almost… wistful? She glanced at her watch and began gathering her things. "Hey, Janetta, I've gotta run. I'll see you guys next week!"

"Okay, sweetie! See you then!" Janetta called from the kitchen.

She pulled some money from her back pocket, laid it on the table, and was out the door. She never once looked at me.

Janetta appeared at that moment with a positively sinful looking cheeseburger and a mountain of fries. My mouth watered. "Here you are, dear. I hope you enjoy," Janetta said as she placed the plate in front of me.

"I'm certain I will. Thanks, it looks wonderful."

She smiled that sweet grandmother smile at me again and walked over to Bella's table.

"OH! That little…" she nearly yelled. Paul came running into the dining room from the kitchen. "What? What's wrong!"

Had I judged too soon? Did Bella not leave enough money? Or maybe she didn't leave any at all, she just left an I.O.U. or something.

"All she had today was two glasses of iced tea, one of which she didn't even ask for…" Janetta said, her voice shaking.

"And?" Paul urged, on putting his hand on her shoulder.

"She left a 20 dollar bill." Janetta whispered

Paul chuckled, "Heart of gold, that one." He walked back to the kitchen, shaking his head. Janetta stood by the empty table, staring at the bill in her hands.

I almost couldn't believe my eyes. No one ever left more than they had to in Hollywood. I felt a renewed sense of… something. It was possible for people to still be kind to one another. Even I couldn't deny it. I could even make excuses for Janetta, it was just her job or she was just trying to make sure I would come back etc. But, this Bella, I could find no other reason for her actions except… kindness. I finished my cheeseburger quickly, eager, for the first time in a long time, to get back to work.

Janetta came back to clear my dishes and leave the bill. I asked her for directions back to my hotel. She complied ever so sweetly, giving perfect directions. She wished me a good day and said to come back soon. I beamed at her. I left the restaurant, and my only regret was that I couldn't see Janetta's face when she collected the money from my table.

I left $50.

_Thanks to everyone for being patient! It took me forever to figure out how to work this stinking website (for those of you who don't know me… I'm not exactly computer saavy ;) )_

_Please let me know what you think! I would love to hear from you!_

_Also, come on over and play with me and my gals on the forums at , we're really fun, I promise!_

_Special Thanks: __My Beta, Val or the Red Pen Goddess Divine._

_And my grandparents, who were my inspiration for this chapter._

_~Delta_


	3. One Fine Day

Just Like the Movies

Chapter 2

One Fine Day

I made it back to the set without a problem, thanks to Janetta's unbelievable skill in giving directions. I was feeling inspired after my encounter at the restaurant. I knew I had been an ass, I always am, but I never admit it. I also knew that I needed this job. There was lot of money involved, and it wasn't just me counting on this movie's success. Alice needed it to work too, as well as countless other people. If I fucked it up, they'd have to start from square one. I couldn't let that happen. So, for the first time in a long time, I swallowed my pride and knocked on Mr. Howard's trailer door. I needed to discuss where our previous conversation had gone wrong.

"Come in," Mr. Howard's dull voice said from behind the door. He was bent over his desk scribbling something on a notepad. He looked up, and when he realized who it was, his eyes narrowed. "Cullen," He said flatly.

"Sir, I just wanted to apologize for my behavior. I had no right to walk out like that." He continued to stare at me for a moment, like he was thinking about what to say next. He let out a heavy sigh and continued.

"I understand, Mr. Cullen, and as long as it doesn't happen again, I don't see why we can't forget the whole thing." Mr. Howard sounded like he was just trying not to piss me off.

"Thank you, sir. But, I do wish to discuss some time off. I don't think it's unreasonable that I get one night off a week. What with night shoots and the unreliable hours." He thought about that for a moment, and I was worried that this was going to turn into another fight.

"I think that can be arranged, we could all use a scheduled break, I think." Cullen: 1 Howard: 0

"Can we just continue taking Thursday evenings off?" I offered.

"Certainly. Now that's enough of this, I'll see you tomorrow," he said dismissively.

I left his trailer and headed back to the hotel for some much needed rest. It had been a strange day. It was, indeed, unusual for me to admit that I lost my cool, but I get an evening off every week. THAT is certainly worth a little ass kissing.

When we resumed shooting the next day, things went even better. I found myself laughing and actually participating in conversations instead of just pretending to listen. It was hard for me to believe that my actual demeanor could change based just on one afternoon. And it wasn't just the actions of Bella Swan that helped put my mind as ease. Janetta and Paul were certainly good people too. And it felt… nice being able to help them. I grinned like a fool every time I thought about what Janetta could possibly have done when she found my money on the table.

Alice, most of all, noticed the difference. And she was eloquent as always.

"What the hell has gotten into you?" She asked me over lunch that Saturday.

"Aren't you the sweet one?" I asked her sarcastically.

"Edward, I've known you a long time. And I've seen you happy before, but it was always when there were other people around, you know? 'Smile for the camera' bullshit. You would put on a happy face whether it was for me, or for Tanya, or whoever. But, these past few days, it's like... you're happy for yourself."

"Yeah, I think I am. I don't know. I just had a really good day on Thursday."

She raised an eyebrow, but thankfully didn't question me further. "Good. I hope it stays that way."

"Me too," I said truthfully.

And I honestly did feel optimistic. I hadn't felt this good about life in a long time. But, by Tuesday evening, I was back to the way I felt before... annoyed, pissed, and frustrated. I felt this way for no God damned reason that I could figure out, and that fact just made me even more unpleasant.

I didn't want to act this way. I didn't want to treat everyone I knew, and didn't know, like crap. And stupidly, I thought the way I had felt over the weekend would last.

By Thursday, I definitely needed a break again. More than that, I needed to be alone. I got into my rental car and started driving around again. I didn't find my way to a highway; I just roamed the streets, driving slowly up and down. Passing houses, schools, and offices. I didn't know how or why, but I ended up parked on the same street as last time. And there it was, Roger's. _Why did I come here?_ I stared down the building, willing myself to understand why I'd come back. I chuckled to myself. Of course, I know why I came back… it was peaceful. _Yeah, keep telling yourself that. _I groaned inwardly. I got out of the car and purchased another newspaper.

I walked slowly to the door. It creaked open, and I looked in. Paul and Janetta were back in the kitchen; they hadn't heard me come in. I scanned the room. Every single table was empty. I felt a twist of sadness in my stomach. _Why? _ Of course it was empty. Just because Bella said she'd be back next week, she could have meant a different day, or maybe she's already left. I froze.

_In the name of all that is holy, why do I remember that?!_

I was suddenly furious with myself. I didn't know this woman; I shouldn't even know her name. The only reason I knew anything about her is because I listened in on her conversation- like the jackass I was. I was still lingering in the doorway. I swore under my breath, flung the door open so that it slammed against the wall, and turned around to leave so fast that it made my head spin.

Naturally, I crashed into something.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry!" A startled voice said to me.

I locked my eyes onto the vision before me. It was Bella. She was struggling to hold onto a massive amount of papers, notepads, and books. I had apparently knocked them loose from her grip. I moved quickly to try and help her.

"Oh, let me help you." I grabbed what I could of the papers and held the door open for her.

"Thank you," she said without meeting my eyes. She walked over to same table she had occupied before, spilling the papers onto it. I followed suit.

"Are you alright?" I asked her.

"Yes, I'm sorry," she apologized again. "I wasn't watching where I was going. Are _you_ alright?" She looked up at me, and I met her gaze for the very first time. Her eyes were lovely, a warm, deep shade of chocolate brown. But what was most interesting to me was that she wasn't wearing any make up. I didn't know a single woman who didn't wear make -up in public. What actually arrested my attention was that she didn't need any make-up. She was heart-breakingly beautiful. Her face was pale and heart shaped; her lips were full. She looked… just a little sad. Luckily, I remembered myself and the fact that she had asked me a question.

"Uh, yeah, I'm fine. You don't have to apologize. It was my fault. I was… in a hurry."

"Oh, well, thank you for your help, and please, don't let me keep you if you have somewhere you need to be," she said with genuine concern for me.

I chuckled, "I don't really have anywhere to be; I was just… frustrated. It's not a big deal."

"Oh, okay." She said lamely. Then, much to my dismay, she sat down at her table looked away from me.

I had to know this woman. It had not escaped my notice that she hadn't said one word about who I was. I didn't mean to be arrogant, but I was almost weirded out by the fact that she had stared me right in the eyes, had spoken to me, and not said one word about my identity. So I took a chance.

"Do you mind if I join you?"

She nearly dropped her book. She looked up with the strangest expression on her face. It was a mix of shock and hesitancy. It took a second, but she finally composed herself.

"Uh, no, not at all, please." She said gesturing to the chair across from her.

I sat down just as Janetta came over to us. "Hi there, Bella!" Then she glanced my way. "Oh! It's you again," Janetta said, glaring at me.

"It's good to see you again, too." I chuckled. Bella shot me a questioning look. I just shook my head.

"And how is it that you know Bella?"

"Actually, we just met," Bella answered for me.

"Well, young man, if you're going to be dining with Bella, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask your name," Janetta demanded, smiling at me.

"It's Edward." I didn't look at Janetta when I spoke, however. I was staring at Bella, hoping that she would understand that I was introducing myself to her as well. She gave me a small smile.

"Well, Edward, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Janetta and that old man back in the kitchen is my husband, Paul," she laughed.

"It's a pleasure to be formally introduced," I laughed back.

"So, what can I get for you?" Janetta asked.

"Just iced tea for me," Bella said brightly.

"I'll just have water," I replied.

"You got it, be right back."

"So, Edward is it? In case you hadn't figured it out, I'm Bella. Swan." She said, holding out her hand to shake mine. I took her hand gently. It was surprisingly pleasurable to feel her soft, warm hand in mine.

"Why did Janetta give you the look of death back there?" Bella asked.

"Because, he left a ridiculous amount of money for a silly cheeseburger." Janetta was back with our drinks. I smiled at her. "I have to watch out, Bella, it seems your behavior is contagious!"

"Huh?" Bella asked confused.

"Well, he was here last week when you pulled your little stunt. You're lucky I didn't come after you!"

Bella blushed. I stifled a laugh. "I have to admit; I was inspired." Bella threw me a look. I'm guessing she was probably wondering if I had stalker tendencies.

"Yes, he heard me ranting and raving about it. I guess he just had to out do you!" Janetta said, exasperated. But, she quickly calmed down and returned to her grandmother/waitress state, "You sure you don't want anything to eat?"

"No, thank you," Bella and I said together. Our eyes locked, and we smiled at each other.

Janetta chuckled, "Alright, just holler if you need anything." She shuffled back to the kitchen.

"So, you were here last week?" Bella asked me.

"Yeah, I got lost, and I stopped for directions. I ended up just staying for dinner."

"They do have excellent food here," she paused. "That was really nice of you, to leave extra." Her eyes bore into mine.

"Like you said, It was a good cheeseburger." I shrugged.

"I don't think you understand… Janetta and Paul have owned this restaurant for 40 years. I've been coming here almost every week since I moved here. And every year it seems fewer and fewer people come here." Bella's voice grew sad. "Last month they were in danger of having to close. So, whenever I can, I try to leave more than is needed," she looked up at me and smiled. "And it's really refreshing to hear that someone else is willing to help, especially since you didn't even know what was going on."

I smiled right back at her. "You're right. I didn't know what was going on, but it's really not a big deal." I didn't want to talk about me anymore. I wanted to know more about her. I still was at a loss as to why. But, despite those better instincts, I started asking her questions. "You said that you've been coming here a long time?"

"Yeah, I moved here for college. And the library was always so crowded. So, I would come here to study and get away from cafeteria food," she laughed. "Now, I come here to read. It's always so quiet. Usually after the days I have, quiet is really a rare treat."

"Why? What kind of days do you have?" I asked, wondering how her life could be so hectic.

"I work at a day care for underprivileged children. They're a lot of fun, but they're also awfully loud."

Of course she would work at a place where she could do a lot of good. I was getting ready for another set of questions, but she beat me to it. "What about you? I'm assuming you're not lost again. How'd you end up back here?"

Shit. "Uh, well. I guess I like the quiet too." There that wasn't a lie. "What's all this stuff?" I asked quickly, gesturing to the papers she was now organizing.

"Just some research materials, I'm going to start working on my dissertation this fall."

"Dissertation? You look a little young to be getting your doctorate." I hoped she didn't notice my ploy to get her to tell me her age.

"Twenty-five isn't that young, and besides, it'll be a few years before I'm finished."

"Well, I think that's great. What are you going to write about?"

"Umm, I'll get back to you when I figure that out," she laughed again and so did I. I liked the way she laughed. "So are you going to tell me how old you are? Since you so smoothly got my age out of me." She smirked.

Caught, red-handed. "Crap. Thought I got away with it. I'm twenty-six."

"You can't get anything past me," she chuckled. "And I don't mind the age question. The stuff some women get worked up over." She shook her head slightly.

"That's good, cause I certainly don't have a filter when it comes to what I say. It often gets me into trouble."

"Well, I can offer a safe harbor; I don't judge." Bella said light-heartedly.

"It sounds like I'm going to therapy."

"So, tell me about your mother," she said seriously as she mockingly pulled out a pen and began scribbling on a note pad. I just shook my head at her.

We continued chatting and joking with each other while sipping on the drinks that Janetta continually replenished. The light atmosphere was intoxicating. I didn't have to be anyone but myself. It was unbelievable how quickly I became comfortable around her. It was just so easy to talk to her. And the way she smiled at me. It wasn't seductive, like the smiles I was used to getting from women, instead it was warm and comforting. Like a smile that is shared between two life-long friends. What was shocking to me was that I was honestly smiling back.

When we suddenly realized that hours had passed, Bella apologized and started packing up her things. "It was really great talking with you," she said sincerely.

"Yeah, you too. It was surprising." Surprising? What the hell does that mean? Way to go, idiot.

But, instead of staring at me like the moron I was, she chuckled. "Yeah, I bet it was nice change of pace for you… having a woman not throwing herself at you or asking for an autograph." Her eyes sparkled with mischief.

I gaped at her. "You knew?"

"Of course, I did. But it's certainly not any of my business. I just thought…" She blushed. "That you would like a normal conversation for a change."

I had to admit, I was impressed. "Well, thank you, it was certainly a nice conversation and a refreshing change of pace."

"I'm relieved. I was afraid I would bruise your ego if I didn't say anything."

"Trust me, it had the opposite effect." I told her truthfully.

"I'm glad."

And cue the awkward silence. "So…" I offered lamely.

"I do have to be going. I really did enjoy talking with you," she said slowly making her way towards the door.

"You sound like it's going to be the last time."

She stopped dead in her tracks. "Isn't it?" She asked.

"Well, will you be here next week?"

"Yes," she said hesitantly.

"I have every Thursday off, and I could use another round of therapy." I smirked.

"I'd be happy to oblige, Mr. Cullen," she said with a very unconvincing serious look on her face.

"Good, I'll be looking forward to it. _Dr. _Swan." And I would. The entire afternoon had been wonderful. I hadn't been able to talk to another person like that… well, ever. And I was certainly excited to see her again.

We said our goodbyes, and as I was getting into my car, I reached for my cell phone_. Three new messages_. I punched in my code and waited.

"Edward, just wanted to ask you about…"

Delete. Alice.

"Listen, please tell me you'll call me back. And don't just delete this because it's me. I mean it Edw…"

Delete. Alice.

"Hey, baby…"

Delete…. _Tanya._

_****************_

_Happy day before school starts up again! (for you college kids that is)_

_So, they finally meet and the friendship has officially begun! I don't have too much to say at this point except, be sure to stop by the Twilighted forums. I have a thread there for this story and there are some wonderful stories over there that I encourage all Twilight fans to check out!_

_Oh, and if you want, I wrote a one-shot the other day so you can check that out too! ;)_

_Please leave a review and let me know what you thought!_

_Special Thanks to:_

_My Beta, Val_

_RavynNightstorm and gemmabobella for my awesome banner (you can check it out over at twilighted)_

_Annnd the weather, for NOT dumping a foot of snow on me as I tried to move back to school today =)_

_See you again soon!_

_~Delta_


	4. Soul Food

Just Like the Movies

Chapter 3

Soul Food

Shit… Shit… _Shit. _I completely forgot about Tanya. I haven't called her once since I got here. Is it bad that I spent the entire drive home contemplating whether or not I was going to call her back?

Damn.

No. She deserved a phone call. She was my girlfriend, and I was her boyfriend. This is what boyfriends do, they call. By the time I reached my hotel room I had made up my mind. I walked over to the bed and flopped down. I pulled my phone from my pocket and dialed. 555-7588. _Let the torture begin._

It only rang once.

"BABY!" I had to pull the phone away from my ear.

"Hey,"

"I miss you. I don't have anyone to party with when you're gone," she pouted.

"Yeah, I know. I haven't gone out at all actually. It's been crazy out here," I said truthfully.

"Eddie, honey. I talked to Felix."

I frowned, she only called me Eddie when she was going to mother me. But, that's not really what bothered me. "Who's Felix?"

"Oh, Edward don't you pay attention?! Felix is Mr. Howard's personal assistant. He and I go way back. He called me last week, said that you just stormed off and that Mr. Howard was pretty pissed about it."

"So what?" It wasn't any of her business anyways. Besides if she was so worried about it, why didn't she call last week when it happened? I know why, it's the same reason I didn't call her. We weren't number one in each other's lives.

"Well, I just don't want you to get fired. This is a HUGE role for you, Edward. You'll make millions!" Thoughts confirmed. She was more concerned about the money than me. Odd, before I would have been totally okay with that kind of response. I expected it. It was all people saw when they looked at me. A pretty face and money, but, now… today, it upset me.

"I'm aware, thanks. I took care of it. It's not an issue anymore," I said dismissively.

"Okay, I believe you. So what else have you been up to?"

"I did discover a great little restaurant." I didn't intend, at first, to tell Tanya about Roger's. But, I had no reason to lie.

"Oh! We'll have to fly out together sometime to go there! What kind of food? Thai? Japanese? What's the wine list like? Mmm I bet it's fabulous!" She said, speaking a mile a minute and never pausing for breath.

"Uhh, it's not… I mean, well it's kind of a burger and fries joint… I'm pretty sure they don't serve wine." I laughed.

"Ew! _Why _would you eat that garbage? It's so bad for you!" She squealed. "And worse, what if you would have been seen eating in a place like that? Don't you ever consider your reputation?"

"I will do as a please, Tanya," I almost whispered.

"Gross, you keep your greasy burger; I'll stick to salads, thanks. Look, I've gotta go. I'll talk to you later."

She hung up.

I dropped the phone to the floor. I couldn't think straight. I just couldn't. She's my girlfriend; I want her to be happy. And I clearly wasn't doing that for her. But, I just can't end it with her, especially now that I'm away from her. Breaking up with Tanya over the phone would certainly not be the way to go. I don't think I could handle the guilt.

I feel guilty all the time when Tanya is involved…guilty that I'm using her to keep the leeches away, guilty because she deserved someone who would take care of her, and guilty because if I was a good boyfriend, I would have told her about Bella. _Why didn't I tell her?_ I trusted Tanya, truly I did. But, Tanya wouldn't trust Bella. She would, of course, jump to conclusions, thinking that Bella was a double agent, just trying to scam some money out of me, or put my picture in a tabloid. I couldn't deal with that bullshit. Bella would just have to remain my little secret, for now.

There it is again. _Guilt._ I should be able to tell Tanya everything, but I don't. I guess it's good that I'm away from Tanya now. Gives me time to think.

Maybe this trip would be good for more than just making money. Maybe I could gain a proper perspective on things. Then when I go home next month, I can reevaluate my situation. Until then, I would try to be better for Tanya. I owed her that.

***********

The week went by slowly. Even though I had enjoyed my time with Bella, it didn't have the same effect as last time. My conversation with Tanya put a damper on my mood, and I was just as pissed as I had been before.

Alice, of course, noticed. "Edward, what is going on with you?" She sat on the floor of my hotel room with her script sheets spread out all over the floor. I was sprawled out on my bed, with my hand behind my head, just staring at the ceiling, seething.

She fucking noticed everything. It was really pissing me off. But, the annoyance faded just as quickly as it arose.

I sighed. I had no right to be pissed at Alice. She was just trying to look out for me. But, I couldn't tell her what was bothering me. Not because I didn't trust her, but because I knew what her reaction would be. For as much as Tanya disliked Alice, Alice loathed Tanya just as much, if I tried to talk to her about my problems and my concerns with Tanya, it would turn into Alice begging me to dump her.

Tanya and I may have our rough patches, but I didn't want to hear other people tell me what to do. I just wanted some advice, some insight to help me figure out what to do. I had yet to find someone like that.

"Nothing, Alice. I'm just anxious for our day off. This heat is making me nuts, I think."

Alice laughed, "Yeah, I know what you mean. I cannot do _anything _with my hair in this humidity..."

I let my mind wander, as I always did when I was able to get Alice off topic. I counted on that. She would usually talk on about whatever and eventually yell at me. But, today was an exception.

"Edward?" She said quietly, that got my attention.

"Yeah?" I said without looking at her.

"I know that things haven't been easy for you lately. But, I do know that I'm your friend, and I want to be able to help you if I can," she said, her voice full of sadness.

"I know Alice, I'm sorry. I'm having a hard time figuring out what the hell is wrong with me. I hope you know that I don't mean to hurt your feelings. I just… don't know what I'm looking for." I suddenly realized that neither one of us was talking about Tanya…

"Well, I hope you find it, 'cause you certainly deserve it."

I looked up and smiled at her. "Thanks, Alice." Moments like these reminded me that Alice really is a good person and friend. I just needed to quit being an ass and remember that. Still, I just couldn't talk to her about everything. She was just, too much like me. Too much like everyone in Hollywood. She wouldn't understand, exactly the way that _I didn't _understand.

********

Thursday arrived, and I couldn't be happier. After a quick work out and shower at the hotel, I practically ran out the door to my rental. I was genuinely excited for my dinner date with Bella. Whoa, cowboy! _Date?_ You have a girlfriend, this is NOT a date. I couldn't let my relationship with Bella be anything but platonic. And that was certainly going to be easy. Someone like her is bound to have a prince charming in her life. Besides, that's what I needed right now, a friend.

I parked on the street and walked right past the newspaper dispenser. I didn't need to hide here.

I walked through the door and made my way over to Bella's table. Again, the place was empty. I couldn't understand why this charming little restaurant was having such a hard time getting patrons. I began to wonder what I could do to help.

Before I could really come up with any good solutions, I heard a voice come from the doorway.

"You came back," Bella said amazed.

I looked up at her. Again, she was dressed-down in jeans and sneakers; but, today she had a jacket on as well. What the hell was going on with her summer wardrobe? I can barely see straight it's so fucking humid outside, and she's walking around in a jacket. I put that thought aside and answered her.

"I said that I would," I smirked at her. It didn't really surprise me that she thought I wouldn't come back. She had no reason to trust me, but how could I not want to see her again?

"I know," she smirked back as she took her seat across from me. "I believed that you would try. But, I just imagined that you would get too busy… or you would just forget about me." She blushed.

"How could I ever forget about you?"

I think we were both a little stunned at my admission.

"I mean, you don't understand; I've never seen anyone act the way you do," I added quickly.

"Act in what way?" She asked.

"You know… nice."

She folded her arms across her chest and glared at me.

"Lots of people are nice. Janetta's nice!"

She had me there. How could I describe what I saw in her without sounding like a complete stalker? Ugh, she was completely frustrating.

"Okay, fine. It doesn't matter anyway, I'm here," I said almost harshly.

Her arms relaxed and her face smoothed out into small smile. "You have a temper, don't you?"

I narrowed my eyes at her, "And you're a bit blunt, aren't you?"

Her smile widened into a smug grin, "I thought your ego was unbruiseable."

I snorted. Then I smiled right back at her, for reasons I didn't even understand.

"Hi there, kids!" Janetta appeared from the kitchen, "What can I get for you?"

Bella gestured for me to go first. For some reason, my conversation with Tanya popped into my head. "I'll try the chicken salad and water, please" I normally never ordered this healthy, but if it was important to Tanya, I would try. Even if she wasn't here to see it.

"A cheeseburger and fries STAT, oh and an iced tea." Bella smiled up at Janetta.

She laughed, "Of course, I'll be right back with that."

And of course, I couldn't keep my mouth shut. "My girlfriend would never be caught dead eating that stuff."

Bella, to my surprise, laughed, "What, is she like a super model or something?"

I tried to hide my smile as I gave a dramatic pause. "Um, Yeah."

Bella's eyes widened. "Oh, well… yeah, if I was a model I wouldn't eat it either…" It sounded like there was more that she wanted to say, but she caught herself before she let it slip.

Janetta brought our drinks out for us and Bella continued, "Do you mind if I ask her name?"

"Tanya." I answered, flatly, no emotion. Bella ignored that.

"I'm sure she's lovely."

"She is," I couldn't think of anything else to say. Nothing that would lead to a pleasant conversation, anyways.

"Do you not want to talk about it?"

"That's not…" I groaned and rubbed my hand on my face, "it's just that I'm a little frustrated with her right now." What the fuck are you doing? Shut up! You can't talk to Bella about this! You CANNOT talk to your girl friends about your girlfriend. It just doesn't work.

I was surprised by the feeling in the pit of my stomach when I realized that I thought of Bella as a friend. I was never really "friends" with anyone, except Alice. Tanya and I weren't even friends before we starting dating.

"How so?" Bella asked.

Could I do this? I couldn't even bring myself to talk to Alice about this. But, Bella has never reacted the way I expect. Maybe this will be different too, and besides if she goes all psycho fangirl on me, I don't have to come back… My entire mind was screaming at me as I let Bella in on what was bothering me; _please don't be a psycho fangirl._

"Tanya and I, we don't always see eye to eye. She wants me to keep my mouth shut and make sure I'm keeping up a proper reputation. But, I really think she's more concerned with the paycheck I'll be bringing home than me."

There it was, my problem with Tanya, laid out on the table for Bella to do with as she will.

"I don't know about that, you said she's a model, right?"

"Yeah?" I asked wondering where she was taking this.

"Well, if she's making a lot of money herself, why would she be after yours?"

I didn't even know what to think. Bella continued.

"Furthermore, I know I don't know her, but maybe that's what's important to her. She wants you to be seen in the best light possible; I think she just wants you to take care of yourself, Edward."

Is that true? It had to be. Tanya and I were certainly on the same page where our relationship was concerned. And right now, I was waiting on a salad instead of a burger, because of what she had told me. Could Tanya be thinking the same things? Did she just want me to be happy, the same as I wished for her? Of course, and I was stupid for not realizing it sooner.

"I guess that's true. I suppose I have some trust issues. You, know. I tend to question people's motives, probably more than I should."

"I don't think that's a problem either. You _should_ be careful. But, then again, you don't seem the type that could easily be taken advantage of." She smiled. "Maybe, you should just trust _yourself_ more."

I shook my head at her. I had spent a week stewing over that 60 second conversation with Tanya. I had been furious over it. And now Bella, with another 60 second conversation, had made me feel immensely better not only about the conversation, but about my entire relationship with Tanya too. She somehow found the good in the situation.

"I did trust myself, and I fumed over a stupid fight for a week. Maybe I should just trust _you_."

"You just met me, Edward. How do you know that _my_ motives are pure?"

"I don't. But, like you said, it's hard for me to be taken advantage of. I'm not fooled that easily. I'll know if you sic the paparazzi on me." I smiled. I realized with that statement I was admitting that I trusted her. I was shockingly okay with that realization.

She beamed. Her smile did something to me. It was like a sunrise, warm and beautiful.

Just then Paul appeared with our food. He set the plates in front of us along with a small dish that had a tiny cup of dressing on it. "My homemade vinaigrette dressing. So good, you'll never buy store brands again."

"Thanks, Paul," I said.

"You're welcome, kiddo; eat up!" I chuckled. I hadn't been called kiddo since I was five.

I looked at my salad. It truly looked fantastic, but then I looked at Bella's plate. I grimaced. It looked delectable, especially the fries.

Bella caught me staring. She then grabbed the small dish the dressing was on and took a heaping handful of fries off her plate, placing them on the dish. She then shoved the plate at me.

Normally, I would have protested, but I didn't want to argue, 'cause I _really_ wanted some fries. And something told me that if I argued with Bella… I would lose.

We ate and our conversation moved on to lighter topics. I even confessed that originally, I had wanted to teach instead of act. But, during my sophomore year of college, an agent had showed up to a play I was starring in at school and well… the rest, as they say, is history. My life was a whirlwind after that, and I ended up not finishing my degree. My parents were not thrilled, but I was doing what I enjoyed. They had come to terms with that. No need to explain that I didn't quite enjoy it as much as I once had.

I learned that Bella majored in English. She had wanted to be a reporter, but her job at the day care was just too much fun for her to give up. I was glad that she had found a profession that made her happy.

We talked about sports teams, favorite colors, favorite holidays, favorite TV shows, and even favorite movies.

It was nice to have someone to just talk to.

I was feeling rather brave, and I wanted to be able to get a hold of Bella just in case I _did_ have to miss one of our dinners. I offered her my phone number.

"What, celebrities give out their numbers to lowly peasants? I'm amazed!" She said as she took the napkin I had written my number on from my hand.

"Bella, shut up and return the favor," I said, holding my phone out to her.

"Are you asking me for my phone number, Mr. Cullen?" She tried to look innocent, but she failed miserably.

"That _was _the general gist of my previous request," I said sarcastically. She took my phone and began typing in her number. "God, you're annoying," I added without thinking.

Bella's head snapped up, and I wondered if I had hurt her feelings. I had just meant it to be funny. I was always sarcastic like that. But before I could worry anymore, a menacing smile spread across her face. "I didn't used to be, but then I met you."

"Oh, really," I tried and failed to keep the smile off my face. "So, you're annoying on purpose?"

"You caught me," she said, putting her hands up like she was surrendering herself to me. "I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all, I could use a good sparring partner."

"Good, I hope you can handle it."

"Bella, I can handle anything."

Time came again for us to say our goodbyes. We made plans to meet again the following week, and I would be lying if I said that I wasn't thrilled about it. I knew Alice was going to be wondering where I had been all day. She had been very well behaved so far, not asking me about my whereabouts. But, I knew that couldn't last.

As I drove back to my hotel I was strangely calm. I finally had someone who I could tell my problems too. Someone who could put me in my place and NOT piss me off. Not to mention, she made me laugh. She was my friend, a good friend. I silently wished that she felt the same.

Just then my phone buzzed. I opened it up to see that I had a new text message.

_Looking forward to annoying you next week. Let's avoid the rabbit food shall we?_

Smartass.

***************************

_Things are starting to progress! and personally, smartass texts are the best. =)_

_Please leave a review and let me know what you thought_

_OR_

_Stop by the twilighted forums and discuss! I post teasers and other little insights over there as well!_

_Thanks to the betalicious Val_

_and the smutacular ladies over at the AU/AH threads. You guys rock._

_~Delta_


	5. Enchanted

Just Like the Movie

Chapter 4

Enchanted

After I got back to my hotel, I started thinking. A dangerous route to take, I'm aware. I considered Bella a friend. Someone who I could count on, someone I could trust. I was initially shocked at this realization, but after replaying our time together in my mind, it seemed to be a very natural thing. We fit together, we got along, and best of all she didn't annoy the crap out of me. But, despite how wonderful things were going, I felt that maybe… I should end my friendship with Bella.

We came from two different worlds, and I would be going back to Hollywood in just a few short weeks. I would… never see her again. Alice and I would get on the plane, and I would most likely never set foot in Chicago again. How could I pursue a friendship under those circumstances?

Then, I began to feel the guilt creep up on me. Alice was my friend too. And I felt badly about the fact that I could talk to Bella about my problems freely, yet I had reservations about discussing those same problems with Alice. It wasn't that she didn't know what those problems were; I just couldn't talk with her about them. Therein lay the guilt.

I didn't want to keep anything from Alice.

And I was keeping Bella from her. I couldn't do that anymore. And maybe, this would be something that I could talk with her about.

I took Alice out to eat during our lunch break on Sunday. It was the least I could do. I hadn't been a very good friend to her lately, and I wanted to remedy that. We went to an upscale bistro. It was very nice. Since it was in a high-rise building, the walls were entirely made of glass, which provided an excellent view of downtown Chicago. Fresh flowers, fine linens, and cloth napkin fans donned each table. It was certainly what I was used too, but now it felt…uncomfortable.

The management was very excited that I would choose their restaurant to dine at. They provided Alice and I with a private table and informed us that the meal would be on them. We had been there five minutes, and I was already annoyed by the level of attention Alice and I were receiving.

"Edward, please don't start anything," Alice pleaded with me. "They're just trying to be nice."

"No, they're trying to use me to boost their appeal."

"So what! You're famous! That's what happens to famous people! Let it go!"

"I wouldn't mind, Alice, if they'd just ask."

"So everything has to be a business arrangement? Life isn't like that, Edward. I've been trying to tell you that…"

"Alice, don't start," I interrupted her. I knew exactly what she was talking about. It was they very subject that I was desperately trying to avoid discussing with her – _Tanya_. "I wanted to take you out to eat, not fight with you. I already know your opinions on _that_ subject, and I don't need to hear it from you again," I said just a little too harshly. "But, I would like to hear your opinion on another matter," I added quietly.

Her eyes glazed over a bit, and then she broke into a breath-taking and unrestrained smile.

"Edward, I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything. Just listen, okay?"

She nodded, it almost looked as if she were holding back tears. I sighed and began; "So, I met this girl…"

I swear on my life, if it were possible, Alice would have gone through the roof. She smiled even wider and began bouncing up and down in her seat. She then covered her mouth with her hands too, no doubt trying to contain a squeal of some sort.

"Please, Alice, it's not like that," her smile turned into a frown, but she still looked like she was practically vibrating with excitement.

"I found this restaurant. It's an old diner type place, and it's really nice. There was this girl there and… she's like no one I've ever met before. She's truly a kind and sincere person. Plus, she didn't freak out on me. She talks to me like a normal person. You know how long it's been since that's happened to me."

"I do, Edward, and I'm glad it seems that you've made a new friend. But, I'm confused. Why would you want my opinion on a new friend?"

"I just want to ask you if you think it's a good idea for me to continue to pursue a friendship with her."

"Wait, wait… _continue_? You want to see her again?" Alice asked, surprised, as she took a sip of her water.

"Yes, I do. I've actually met with her twice now. Both times she proved to be an exceptional individual." Alice nearly choked on her water. But she contained herself more quickly this time.

"Edward, if you think that much of her, of course you should continue to be her friend. You need to trust yourself more."

Something about that sounded vaguely familiar. Brown eyes, brown hair, those lips, her voice…

_"Maybe, you should just trust yourself more."_

_Bella._

I pulled my thoughts away from that avenue quickly. If I were going to be friends with her, I couldn't think of her in that way; like she was the most amazing woman I'd ever met.

"I know, Alice. I'm trying, really. Anyway," I hesitated. "Since you and I agree that I should continue to be friends with her… I thought you might like to meet her at some point."

"Really! That would be great! Can we go now? What's her name," she said very quickly.

"Whoa, slow down, Alice. Her name is Bella, and I'd like to ask her first. I don't just want to show up with an extra person. I'll ask her when I see her next."

Alice nodded then her expression grew thoughtful…

"Bella, huh?"

"Yes, Bella," I said, terrified of where this was going.

"Doesn't that mean 'beautiful'?"

My teeth audibly snapped together as I clenched my jaw. I let out a short huff of air through my nose causing my nostrils to flare, and I narrowed my eyes in my best effort to look menacing. Alice just laughed at me.

"Okay, okay! Shutting up."

*****************************

I arrived at Roger's on Thursday just a little early. Janetta greeted me warmly at the door and showed me over to my table, where she had a glass of water and iced tea already set and waiting.  
I sipped on my water and chatted with Janetta about my favorite dishes for a while until I heard the door open. In strolled Bella, her arms full of papers and books again. Her smile got bigger and bigger as she made her way over to our table.

I stood and pulled out the chair for her so she could sit down. But just as she was taking the step around the chair to sit, her foot caught, sending the books and papers flying. She blushed furiously as we both bent down to clean up the mess.

"We find ourselves in this position a lot, don't we?" I teased her.

She giggled, "Yeah, I guess we do. I'm just such a klutz. I'm actually shocked that I haven't embarrassed myself more with that particular talent of mine."

The papers were now collected, save one that lingered just a little further away than the rest. I reached for it, not seeing that Bella moved to pick it up at the same time. Our hands met just above the paper. Just for a moment we left them there. I could feel the silky texture of her hand. It was so warm, and that one simple touch sent a feeling of comfort all through me. But she suddenly jerked her hand away, mumbled an apology, and stood up before I had time to process what had happened.

"It's okay; don't worry about it," I said, just a little hurt that she had moved away from me so  
quickly.

A little later, when we were both happily munching on cheeseburgers, I got up the nerve to ask her about Alice.

"I have… sort of a favor to ask of you."

"Sure," She said sweetly.

"One of my co-stars, whom I've known for about five years, wants to meet you. And I was hoping I could bring her next week."

"Really? Why would she want to meet me?" Bella asked, somewhat stunned.

"Well, to be honest, I was telling her about our dinners, and I offered for her to join us. I think very highly of you Bella, just as I think very highly of her. And I just wanted you guys to meet," I said.

"Oh, well, of course that's okay with me; I'd love to meet her!" Bella said with genuine excitement in her eyes.

"Good, I wanted to ask you first before I brought her by. I didn't want to intrude on our…meetings," I said in a small voice.

"You sound like it's a secret club or something," she snickered at me. "Should we have an initiation? Do some hazing? Have her eat cheeseburgers until she explodes?"

"You are beyond absurd, do you happen to be aware of that particularly irritating character trait?"

"You like it, that's why you keep coming back for more," she said matter of factly. "Besides, I'm used to it; my brother thinks I'm crazy too."

"You have a brother?" I asked, curious about her family.

"Yes, his name is Emmett. He's a few years older than me… he's my best friend." A sad, sweet smile spread across her face.

"Emmett was there for me when no one else was. I owe him quite a bit."

I went rigid in my seat. What does that mean?

"He sounds like a good man," I said.

"He is, thank you. What about you? Do you have any brothers or sisters?" It didn't escape my notice that she was trying to change the subject.

"Yes, I have a brother, Jasper. He's actually dating my friend, Alice. They're disgusting together."

She laughed louder than I had ever heard her. "PDA champions?"

"Two years running," I said seriously. I would have to take her out with the two of them sometime; she laughs now, but oh, the things I've seen… "Jasper is quite the character. He was always so quiet when we were growing up. But then Alice comes charging into his life, and he's a different person now. She changed him for the better, I think. And I'm happy for him."

"That's good… I enjoy hearing about people's happy endings…" She trailed off. Her gaze shifted to stare out the window. Bella never looked away from me, just like I never looked away from her.

But in that moment, it was so strange, I could feel the atmosphere change around us, and it took all of my willpower not to ask her what was wrong. I wanted to comfort her and bring her gaze back to mine, but, I fought against the urge. It was none of my business why she became uncomfortable. Unfortunately, since my mind was busy controlling my mouth, it had lost control over what the rest of my body was doing.

I reached across the table, and before I knew what was happening, I was holding Bella's hand.

She slowly turned her head, her eyes meeting mine. They looked so sad, like all the happiness was gone from the world. The Bella who I had been joking with just moments ago, was gone. I could feel the tension in the air, see it in the way she held her body. She had gone rigid, and her lips were pressed together, as if she were trying to keep herself from crying.

My higher brain functions were still desperately trying to keep me from speaking, so in an effort to ease that tension, I began slowly rubbing my thumb over her knuckles.

"Edward," she said, softly, questioning my actions. That small utterance caused a snap within me and led me to finally ask the question I had been trying to keep at bay.

"Bella, are you okay?"

She quickly removed her hand from mine. "Yes, I'm okay. Sorry about that. I guess, I kinda just got lost in my thoughts," she said, shaking her head and putting on the best fake smile I'd seen since the Golden Globe Awards.

"You don't have to be sorry; it's alright." I did my best to sound comforting. She obviously didn't want to talk about it, and for now, I was done worrying about it. I just wanted to enjoy my time with her.

With another shake of her head, my joking, her smiling, Bella was back, and the moments of unease were long forgotten.

Time, again, moved too quickly, and it was time for Bella and I to say our goodbyes. It was becoming harder and harder for me to say goodbye to her, even though I knew I would see her again next week. I couldn't help thinking that there would come a time where… I wouldn't be coming back.

"Well, I guess I'll see you next week," I said somberly.

"Yeah, I'm really looking forward to meeting your friend. It'll be a nice change of pace, someone who doesn't insult me all the time." She winked.

"You like it; that's why you keep coming back for more," I said, turning her own words against her.

We slowly walked out the door and turned in opposite directions to walk to our cars. But I didn't get in right away. Instead, I turned to watch Bella walk down the sidewalk. Her head was down and her shoulders were hunched. I wish I could have seen her face. What was going on?

The drive back to my hotel was silent; I didn't even turn on the radio. I was vaguely aware of the valet who took my car and of several fans who asked me for my autograph in the hotel lobby. I couldn't focus on anything though. My mind was jumping from theory to theory about Bella.

By the time I had reached my room, I had become hell-bent on figuring out what had made Bella react that way. I could ask her. We were friends. Friends tell each other stuff, right?

But, she's never been hesitant around me before. If she wanted me to know what was wrong, she would have told me. I really didn't know her _that _well. It was none of my business what was making her sad. And I couldn't help her if she doesn't want to be helped.

I began thinking about our time together, searching for any other clues as to what may have been bothering her. Then I remembered that girl from the first day… Ashley.

How did she know Bella? Or rather, WHY did she know Bella? It was obviously their first meeting, but that girl had treated her like a celebrity. Bella hasn't mentioned doing anything that would cause someone to recognize her. She seemed to lead a very quiet life now, and there nobody else had recognized her since that first day. The more I thought about it, the more and more  
frustrated I became.

I _wanted_ to help her. I wanted to be there for her if she needed someone, like Emmett had apparently been there for her in the past. But there I was again at the same impasse I had reached since I began thinking about this problem.

If I pry and ask a bunch of questions, I may lose her. She would find me rude and nosy… and she would never want to see me again. I couldn't let that happen. Our time left together was already growing short, and I didn't want to do anything to cause our final days together to end before they had too.

I resolved myself to continue as if everything were normal. I would be her friend, and when or if she wanted to tell me what was wrong, I would be there.

***************************

_Uhoh, some clues about our Bella in this little chapter!_

_I'd love to hear your theories! Either in a review or over at the Twilighted forums, let me know what you think!_

_Thanks again to my beta, Val, she is all kinds of awesome._

_And thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read my little story. All the support means the world to me so… Thank You!_

_~Delta_


	6. Shall We Dance?

Just Like the Movies

Chapter 5

Shall we Dance?

I woke up the next morning to a text message from Tanya. Great.

_Hey baby how r u? i miss u_

I ignored it.

I just didn't want to talk with her. We hadn't spoken since our little argument last week. In fact, it wasn't even an argument, and I wasn't even upset about it anymore. We just hadn't spoken. And now, she was the _last_ person I wanted to talk to.

_Yes, Tanya, this girl that I've been seeing is driving me crazy. I care about her, and I want her to be happy. But she won't tell me what's bothering her._

Tanya would love that.

I began going through my daily routine, doing anything and everything to keep my mind off of Bella. I wasn't doing a very good job. I just couldn't get her out of my thoughts. I had never seen someone look that way before… hopeless. It was unsettling.

I sighed when I realized I could no longer sit and stare at the blank TV. I had to go work. I put on a hat and sunglasses in an effort to hide my face; although, I hadn't really had a problem with the fans here, just a few signings here or there, nothing to write home about.

As I rode the elevator down to the lobby, however, I began to regret thinking how nice my stay had been so far… fucking Murphy's Law.

The door opened and the lobby seemed quiet. And then I heard it.

_Click. _Then another. _Click. _And another_. Click. _Cameras.

Fuck. Me.

Then the shouting started. I couldn't even make out what they were saying, I just ran. I got out of that hotel as fast as my legs would carry me. I got into my car and sped off without a moment's thought.

This is just what I needed…the fucking paparazzi knowing _exactly_ where I was staying.

I arrived on set without further incident, and needless to say, I was a more than just a little irritated. Apparently, my face said it all.

"Geez, Edward, you look like hell! What's the matter?" Alice asked as soon as she saw me.

"God damned paparazzi in my hotel this morning," I snarled.

"Uh oh, how did they find out where you were staying?" Alice asked, and then she got a funny look on her face as if she knew the answer.

"I have no idea, Alice. I'm sure some on the hotel's staff saw me and contacted the magazines or posted it on some stupid internet site. There were even some girls asking for my autograph last night; it could have been them, too. Magazines pay good money for tips on actors' locations, you know that."

She continued to stare at me like the answer was beyond obvious.

"What do you think happened?" I finally asked, humoring her.

"You don't think it could have been Bella, do you?"

I felt as though I had been slapped. I was angry. Furious.

"You have **no** fucking right to say that, Alice."

"I'm sorry, Edward, it's true I don't know her. But neither do you, really. The truth is that you haven't known this girl for very long. I'm just trying to look out for you," she said defensively.

"You're right. You don't fucking know her! And how dare you accuse her of something like that! She doesn't even know where I'm staying, Alice," I said pointing a finger at her.

"Edward, I… shit," Alice trailed off in a small voice. "I really am sorry. I shouldn't have said anything. I didn't think that it would be such a big deal." She looked down at the ground, ashamed.

I sighed. She was right. She always is. "No, Alice, it's my fault, really. I'm sorry; I can be such a prick sometimes. You don't deserve to be spoken too like that. I just… don't think before I say things."

"I know, Edward. It's okay; I understand. You get frustrated. We all do."

I nodded. "You're wrong though, Alice. I do know her. She would never do something like that to me." My voice rang with certainty and promise.

I was suddenly elated. I did know her. Just because I didn't know every detail of her life doesn't mean that I don't know who she is. She had shown me who she was in every second since I first laid eyes on her, just by being herself. It didn't matter that she wasn't putting her life on display for me. Because deep down, I knew she would. When she was ready, Bella would tell me everything. I could _feel_ it.

"Okay, I believe you," Alice said with sincerity. "I guess I really do need to meet this girl. If you're defending her like a white knight after just a few weeks… I can't imagine what it'll be like down the road." Her eyes twinkled and a smile spread across her face.

"Knock it off, Alice. It's not like that."

"…yet." She muttered before scurrying off to her next scene.

*******************

The days ticked by slowly. We were making excellent progress on set. Everyone seemed to be in high spirits…everyone, that is, except for Alice. So, I attempted to get her mind off of whatever was bothering her.

"I'm a little intrigued by Bella," I told her, trying to peak her curiosity.

"Yeah," she said in a dreary voice. Shit. A totally non-Alice reaction.

"Yeah. I mean, I think she used to be famous or something. But she's not talking," I said, still trying to spark her interest.

"Google her." She didn't even flinch! Something was really bothering her.

"Alice, I'm not going to Google her. First of all… that's creepy. Second, I didn't bring my laptop, and there is no way in HELL that I'm using the hotel's computer lab. Do you know how many people I would have to dodge? What I would have to wear in order to stay hidden? Yeah, I don't think so. And thirdly, and most importantly, I want to hear it from Bella herself."

Okay, Alice could have scolded me for leaving my laptop behind, laughed at me because I can't even use a computer lab, or squealed like a little girl when I admitted how much I wanted to hear Bella's story straight from Bella and not from some stupid computer. But she didn't even look up at me.

At lunch, she and I were sitting and eating our sandwiches in complete silence. Well I was eating my sandwich, and she was picking at hers. She just looked so depressed.

I finally gave in and asked her, "Is everything okay, Alice? You've been acting down all day."

"Yeah, I'm just missing Jasper. Today is his birthday, you know," she finally admitted sadly.

"Well, shit! I guess I should call him then, don't you think? He _is _my brother," I said, trying to cheer her up… again.

She managed a small smile, but then went back to picking at the bread of her sandwich. Suddenly she stiffened in her seat. Her head whipped around to look behind her, only to turn back around with a frustrated expression on her face. She stared at the table.

"Alice?"

"I just thought… It's nothing, Edward… " She looked up into my eyes, but was quickly distracted. Her gaze shifted over my shoulder, and her eyes locked on something behind me. Her mouth twisted up into a smile, and her eyes closed in contentment for just a moment. Then she squealed so loudly it almost knocked me out of my chair.

"JAZZ!" She shot up from her seat and took off running. I whirled around just in time to see my brother scoop Alice up in his arms and hug her tightly.

"What are you doing here!?" Alice asked with more happiness in her voice than I had heard for a long time.

"Birthday present," Jasper said in his quiet voice.

"But, it's your birthday, not mine," Alice said confused.

"I know. And all I wanted was you. So here I am."

God, he was corny.

"That's really corny, do you know that?" Alice said.

That's my girl.

"Yeah, it took me the entire plane ride here to think of it; so get off my case, alright?"

She giggled and kissed him. I took that moment took look away. Alice and Jasper had this aura around them. I always felt like I was intruding on some private moment, even if they were just holding hands.

Eventually they came over to sit with me. Jasper and I shook hands.

"How are you, man?" He asked me.

"Eh, can't complain. How long are you in town for?"

"Oh, not long." He turned to look at Alice, who was now frowning at him, jutting her bottom lip out. "Just a week." He smiled down at her. She latched onto his arm and beamed back up at him.

"That's great. You guys be sure to have fun."

"Oh, we will," Alice said. "Oh! Dinner on Thursday!"

"Don't worry about it, Alice. We can do it another time; I'm sure Bella won't mind."

Jasper looked at me with a confused expression on his face.

"Who's Bella?"

I shot a death glare at Alice, reminding her to keep her mouth shut. "She's just a friend. Alice and I were going to have dinner with her on Thursday, but it's no big deal," I said.

"Oh, well I'm sorry to have interfered with your plans," Jasper said apologetically.

"It's not a problem. You guys have fun. Happy Birthday, Jazz." I rose from my chair and walked off to be alone.

I couldn't help myself. Jasper and Alice were probably two of my favorite people in the world. But, I just couldn't be around them alone. If we were with family or something, it never bothered me. But, when it was just me and the two of them, it made me uncomfortable.

To see them so happy, so in love with each other…the smiles, the laughs, the little touches…it was too much. _I want that._ God damn it! I hung my head in my hands. Was it too much to ask for happiness? I was beginning to think so.

***************

Bella was quiet as we ate our cheeseburgers that Thursday. I hoped that she hadn't become uncomfortable around me. I told her why Alice couldn't join us, and she responded the way I thought she would, perfectly polite and understanding. But she didn't say much after that.

Just then a car drove by with its windows rolled down, playing some God awful music with the bass turned up all the way.

Bella rolled her eyes, and I snickered at her.

"What," she asked, smiling for what seemed like the first time all day.

"You don't like that kind of music?" I asked sarcastically.

"Can't say that I do," she answered dryly.

"Well then, enlighten me. What kinds of music do you like?"

Her expression became thoughtful; she placed her elbows on the table and rested her head in her hands. Finally, after a moment, she answered.

"I'm fond of classical and older, big band styles, you know? Frank Sinatra, Louie Armstrong, anything that you can dance properly too, really."

I laughed again, "Dance properly? What do you mean by that?"

"I mean something other than the bump and grind nonsense that is sweeping the nation. I mean, graceful, elegant, smooth step dancing."

"You sound like you know what you're talking about," I said in a surprised tone.

Ever since she had admitted that she was a klutz to me, I had noticed her drop things and knock glasses over, not to mention the tripping. It was quite a feat to trip on a flat surface, but I had seen Bella manage it quite proficiently.

"I know, you would think a klutz like me wouldn't be able to dance, but I can…" she hesitated, "quite well actually," she finished almost as if it were a challenge.

Now, I had taken God only knows how many dancing lessons for the various film roles I'd had. I was no expert, but I thought I had done pretty well.

"Show me," I challenged.

She looked up at me. I could see conflict raging in her eyes, but finally she said,

"Alright."

We walked over to the long-forgotten jukebox in the corner. Bella pulled out a quarter and pressed some buttons. After a few seconds, the jukebox kicked in and Glenn Miller's "Moonlight Serenade" began playing softly.

Bella stood up straight and held out her left hand out to me. I took it and stepped closer to her. I placed my left hand on her waist, and she snaked her hand up to my shoulder. The look in her eyes was unbelievable. She looked so happy. I began slowly moving my feet, leading her around in circles. She moved with a grace unlike I had ever seen. Her shoulders square and her movements smooth, she was exquisite.

I began moving faster, and she kept up. She was right, she was a wonderful dancer. We stared into each other's eyes, and I smiled down at her. Then, her head slowly drifted closer to me, and I bent mine down to meet hers. I felt her soft cheek press up against mine, and I could feel her smile as we continued to spin around the restaurant.

I chuckled, "You're not half bad, but I think anyone could dance like this."

She scoffed, "Well, show me your moves then, movie star."

Oh, so she wanted to _dance, _did she? I'll show her. I took her left hand and twirled her away from me. She was laughing, and her smile was completely unrestrained. I wanted her to always look like this. So happy, so carefree.

As soon as I tugged on her wrist to spin her back into me, time stopped and several things happened at once.

Bella let out a horrific scream, her face contorted in pain; she dropped my hand and sank to the floor.

"Bella!" I called as I ran to kneel beside her. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"Ice," was all she managed to choke out.

"JANETTA!" I whirled my head around, but Janetta was already rushing back towards me with a bag full of ice. I grabbed it from her. I leaned over Bella to try and help, but I didn't know where she was hurt. Her face was puffy, and her eyes were filled with tears. I had never felt so horrible in all my life.

Luckily, she was able to take the ice from my hands. She placed the bag over her left wrist, and she let out a sigh of relief.

"Bella…" I said softly, "I'm so sorry, I didn't… I didn't mean…" I stammered, trying my damndest to keep myself from choking up.

"No, Edward, it's okay. It wasn't your fault. I should have told you," Bella said in a small voice.

"Told me what?"

"About 9 months ago, I had an accident. It was so stupid. I was rushing to get out of my house, and I tripped down my front stairs. I cracked a rib or two, and I was pretty bruised up, but my wrist got the worst of it." She rolled up her left sleeve, and I could see the scars where they must have done surgery. "There are eight pins holding my wrist together; it gets a little tender from time to time."

I scowled at her. But, somehow, I was happy. I was so happy that she finally told me something about her past, and I was so angry that it took me hurting her for it to happen.

"A little tender? Bella, you screamed. Do you need to go see a doctor? Do you have any pain pills to take?"

"I have some pills, but I don't need to see a doctor. It happens all the time when I overexert myself."

"Bella…"

"Really, it's okay. Please, don't beat yourself up about this. You didn't do anything wrong." After all that, she looked up and smiled at me.

I helped her up and lead her back over to the table. She reached into her bag and pulled out a prescription bottle, popping one of the pills in her mouth.

I glanced at my watch. It was almost time for us to say goodbye again. I really didn't want to today. I wanted to stay with her. I wanted to make sure that she was going to be okay.

"Edward..." Bella said tentatively, "I need to talk to you about something."

I looked up to meet her sad eyes.

"I can't… I can't meet you anymore," she said in a grave tone.

"What?" I didn't understand. I knew she had said something, but I just couldn't make sense of it.

"I start tutoring on Thursday evenings next week. And I already tried to have it changed, but it's not my call to make. I'm sorry, Edward."

"Oh, that's… fine. Shit happens," I shrugged.

"Yeah…"

It occurred to me that maybe I should say something, but it didn't matter. She would start laughing in a second and call me gullible or something. Just give her a second…

"Okay, I've gotta go…" She stood and stared at me, almost as if she were waiting for a hug or some type of grand goodbye gesture, but I wasn't falling for that shit. This was a joke.

"Bye, Bella. Have a good evening. I enjoyed our time together," I said as sweetly as I could manage, not getting up from my seat.

"Me, too. Bye," she sounded as though she were going to cry again. She turned on her heel quickly, still clutching the ice to her hand. She opened the door and paused for a moment. I saw her sigh, and then she stepped out into the night. The door quietly closed behind her, and I was left alone, waiting for her to crash back through the door, snorting at me for falling for it.

She never did

***********************************

_There we are! The first official cliffhanger of this little story! The angst is slowly starting to rear it's ugly head!_

_Let me know what you think! Are mad at Edward? Sad for Bella? I would like to know! So please take a second to leave a review!_

_And if you're bored, feeling down in the dumps,, or want to hang out with some super cool people, come over to the forums. There are lots of awesome authors over there who would love to hear form you (me included)!_

_Also, I post teasers and what not over on the JLtM thread so come check it out!_

_So I'm pretty sure I will forever be thanking my beta, Val… so get used to it ;)_

_And thanks again to all my readers for taking a few minutes out of your day to read my stuff, it means the world to me, really._

_~Delta_


	7. Dreamgirls

Just Like the Movies

Chapter 6

Dreamgirls

Three days.

It had been three days since I had just let Bella walk away from me.

It was becoming increasingly apparent that this certainly wasn't a fucking joke. Way to go, Prickward.

I can't even imagine what was going through her mind. We had spent all this time together, became good friends, laughed together, and just enjoyed each other's company. And there she was, trying to say goodbye to me. And I didn't say ANYTHING, because I thought it was a joke.

No, I knew better. I knew it wasn't a joke from the beginning. I just couldn't bring myself to _really_ say goodbye to her. It was too soon. We still have another month. It's not fair…

And we could have worked something out. I would have met her anytime... anywhere. But, I didn't do a God damned thing. I was so ashamed; I couldn't even call her.

I barely deserved her friendship then, I certainly didn't fucking deserve it now.

I glanced at the clock. It was 7:31pm – three hours till I had to report to the set for another fun-filled night shoot. I groaned and threw myself down on my bed. Maybe if I could just sleep through the next few hours… That would save me from having to think about this mess I'd made. I rolled over so I didn't have to look at the clock. I didn't want to think about time passing, every minute that passed was another minute away from Bella… I let my eyes close and finally let sleep overtake me.

The awful sound of my phone ringing brought me out of my dreamless sleep. I scrambled out of bed and ran to the dresser before the stupid thing could go to voicemail. I didn't even look to see who was calling.

"Hello?" I said, slightly annoyed.

There was no sound from the other end.

"Hello? Is anyone there? I swear to God if this is another telemarketer…" I was starting to fume, but a quiet, familiar voice cut me off…

"Edward?"

"Bella!"

Holy shit, what do I do? What do I say?

"Hi, how are you," she asked timidly.

"I'm… okay. Jesus, Bella, I'm so fucking sorry," I blurted out. "I thought you were

joking. And once I realized you weren't… you were gone, and it was too late. And I wanted to call you, but I couldn't. I just felt so awful. And after your wrist…" I rambled on.

"It's okay, Edward. I'm not mad. It was just a misunderstanding."

"I'm so happy you called me, Bella."

Me too. I almost didn't, but thinking about not seeing you… it… well…," she hesitated, "It made me miss you, Edward."

We were both quiet as I sat on my bed absorbing that.

After a moment, she continued.

"I should have asked you last week, but I couldn't work up the nerve. Anyways, I'm calling to ask if you'd like to come to my apartment for dinner instead. My brother will be there, and you're welcome to bring Alice."

"Really? That sounds wonderful Bella; I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"It'll be kind of late, and my apartment is kind of hard to find. And I'm certainly no Janetta when it comes to giving directions, so would you mind just stopping by the high school where I tutor? Then you can just follow me from there?"

"Sure, what time?"

"I'm finished at 8."

"Great, Alice and I will be there."

"Good, I'll be looking forward to it." I could hear the smile in her voice.

If she could work up the nerve to call me after I acted the way I did… there was no way I wasn't going to be honest with her. She told me the truth and I needed to do the same, "Oh, and Bella?"

"Yeah?"

"It made me miss you too."

It was quiet for a beat.

"Goodnight, Edward," she said in almost a whisper.

"'Sweet dreams, Bella."

************************

Alice and I sat in the parking lot of Blue Island High School.

"I hope everything's okay," Alice said.

I looked at the clock for what seemed to be the hundredth time since we got here. It was 8:15pm. I had even taken a few minutes to call Tanya and apologize for being so out of touch, much to Alice's dismay. But that conversation had only taken five minutes, and I was right back to sitting here, watching the minutes tick by.

"Me too. She said that she would be done at 8. I don't know what happened."

"Are you sure we're in the right place?"

"How many Blue Island High Schools do you think there are in Chicago?" I asked sarcastically. Alice rolled her eyes at me.

I sighed. I could call her, but if she was tutoring, there would be no way for her to answer. She wouldn't have forgotten, and I could still see lights on inside the building. She must still be inside.

"I'm going to go in and see if I can't find her," I said.

"Are you crazy? Aren't you worried that someone may see you? I'm sure she'll be out in a moment."

"Alice, what if something's the matter?" I could feel the panic rising up inside me. I knew it was irrational; there was no reason for me to be worried. But, I couldn't help myself. I needed to make sure she was okay. That thought alone put all my anonymity on the back burner. "I'm going, are you coming, or are you going to sit out here and pout?"

She groaned and got out of the car.

We walked up to the old looking school building. The glass doors creaked open, and once inside, you couldn't hear a sound. The place was deserted. It was very eerie. As Alice and I walked up and down the hallways, we began to make out sounds. It sounded like… music.

Soon we came to the gymnasium, where it seemed the music was coming from. I slowly opened the door. The gym was nothing special. Same wooden floor, same double set of bleachers, same press box, as any other gym in the United States. There were a small number of people in the stands. That wasn't unusual either. But what was on the gym floor, that had Alice and I stopping dead in our tracks to stare.

It was a dance team. They were right in the middle of a routine. And they were perfect. The beat was fast and uplifting, and each girl was twirling and flipping with huge smiles on their faces. They were all wearing matching red tank tops and black pants as well as black dance shoes.

There were two women standing in front of the dancers, watching and smiling. One of them had extremely curly, dirty-blonde hair and was wearing short shorts and a tank top that revealed just a little too much to be appropriate in public. The other was dressed like the dancers except she had on a red work out jacket instead of a tank top.

Alice was staring open-mouthed at the dancers, "Edward, they're wonderful!"

"Are they?" I asked sarcastically.

She slapped my arm, "Yes! You don't have to know anything about dance to see that these girls are awesome! Come on let's sit down!"

"Alice…"

"Oh, just for a minute. It won't kill you."

We made our way to the middle of the bleachers, and we sat down next to a woman and a little girl. I wanted to sit off by ourselves, but Alice would have none of it. She wanted to be "right down front" so she could see better. It's funny how quickly she could forget that I couldn't sit in public like a normal person. But, because I knew I couldn't win, I sat beside her anyways.

Of course, the woman looked over, and it was all I could do not to stick my tongue out and say "I told you so" to Alice.

"Oh my God! You're Edward Cullen, aren't you," the woman asked. I looked over at her with the best smile I could muster. She was beautiful. She had long, wavy, blonde hair and sapphire blue eyes.

"Yes, I am."

"Oh, wow. It's so nice to meet you. I'm Rosalie, and this is my daughter, Sarah," she said, gesturing towards the extremely cute little girl of about six. She, like her mother, had long, blonde hair, but her eyes were brown.

"Do you mind if I ask about this dance group? They're wonderful!" Alice chimed in.

"I'm Alice, by the way," she said, holding out her hand to the woman.

"It's nice to meet you. And these young ladies are some of the most talented dancers in the state. They all attend this high school too. It's like they just gravitated here. The coaches didn't have to scout or anything, truly a miracle."

The routine the girls were dancing came to an end, and they all sat on the floor as the woman with the curly hair and short shorts spoke to them.

"That was wonderful, ladies! I'm so proud of you! We're going to tear it up at Nationals next month!"

The girls clapped and cheered.

"I'll be the judge of that, Jessica." A high pitched voice came from a group of people sitting a little ways away from us. A woman who looked to be about thirty stood from the group. She was wearing a dark grey business suit with stiletto heels. Her light brown hair was pulled back into a harsh bun, and she had an arrogant expression.

"Of course, Ms. Volturi," Jessica answered, gesturing to the girls. "Please, we would love to know what you thought."

"I am glad I dropped by unannounced this evening. It shows me where you truly stand. And I must say, I am impressed. Your style is fresh, and you're quite in sync with one another. There are some rough patches, but I see no reason for you to not to take home the gold this year."

The girls clapped and cheered again.

"Thank you, Ms. Volturi. We are truly grateful for your support," Jessica said to her.

"May I see the solo routine?" Ms. Volturi asked coldly.

The blood completely drained from Jessica's face. "Solo routine," she asked in a shaky voice.

"Yes, Jessica. Every year each troupe must present a solo routine. Certainly you know that?" Ms. Volturi asked as though Jessica were incompetent.

"Of course, I just didn't think you'd want to see it… just yet," Jessica said.

"The show is a month away Jessica. It should be almost completed. Remember? I told you about this six months ago. I asked you to have one of your students prepare a ballet piece."

"Well, yes, I do remember. And I _was_ going to have someone do ballet, but I decided to have Jenn over there," she gestured to a perky dancer sitting right in front with a huge smile on her face, "start working with me on a hip hop routine for Nationals," she said with a smile.

"Jessica, I have nothing against hip hop, you know that; but, you cannot take a hip hop routine to Nationals. _Everyone_ will be doing hip hop solos. That's why I _told _you to do ballet. And I will not continue funding this program if you choose to ignore what I tell you to do." There were several quiet gasps and whispers from the dancers.

"Ms. Volturi, I'm sure everything will be fine…"

"No! It will not. I told you to do one thing, and you did the opposite. It was the solo that cost you the title last year, was it not?" The woman was fuming now.

"Yes, but…" Jessica tried to reason with her.

"Yes! It was. And now it's too late. There is no one who can…"

"Irina Hale can do it," a calm, confidant voice said from behind the crowd.

I knew that voice.

I whirled around, and there she was, slowly making her way down the bleachers. She was wearing jeans and chucks, as usual. But today her jacket was bright red, and it matched the rest of the dancers'. She was staring at Ms. Volturi with an almost amused expression.

"Bella Swan. My my, where have you been hiding? We haven't seen you around in months!" Ms. Volturi leered.

"Oh, I've been here, Jane, just… behind the scenes." Bella had now reached the gym floor and was staring directly at Jane. She smiled at Bella, and it seemed to be genuine. "So, you say you have a dancer who is prepared?"

"Yes. Irina Hale."

"Irina!" Jane called, "Stand up, dear." A tiny blonde girl stood up from the group of dancers. She looked scared out of her mind, "Come here so I can see you better," Jane called to her.

"Is she out of her mind!?" Rosalie hissed next to me.

"Is Aunt Irina gonna dance Mom," the little girl piped.

"Yes, honey, I think she is… what is Bella thinking…" Rosalie murmured to herself.

"Well, Irina," Jane said," you certainly look the part. Have you been taking lessons?"

"Yes, Bel… I mean Ms. Swan has been tutoring me."

"I see, for how long?"

"Six months."

I could hear Rosalie's mouth pop open.

"Well, that certainly seems like enough time. Do you have proper shoes, my dear?" Jane asked, glancing down to Irina's feet, which were still clad in dance sneakers.

"Yes, of course." She scurried over to a pile of duffle bags and rifled through one until she produced a pair of royal blue Pointe toe shoes. She tied the ribbons in an 'x' around her ankles and slowly made her way back to the center of the floor.

"Royal blue, huh? I wonder where she got that idea from," Jane said looking directly at Bella, who simply smiled back.

"Oh my God, I can't watch," Rosalie exclaimed as she buried her head in her hands.

"Mom! We have to watch! It's Aunt Irina," the little girl said, tugging on Rosalie's arms.

Suddenly piano music began to play, and Irina sprung up on her toes. I started to watch her spin and leap through the air, but my eyes were drawn somewhere else.

Bella stood off to the side, just staring at Irina. The expression she wore was unbelievable, truly breathtaking. Her eyes sparkled, and her lips were curved upward in a smile that she was desperately trying to prevent from taking over her face.

Irina finished her routine after several turns and one final leap through the air. The room was silent.

Jane quietly stared at Irina until she finally spoke, "There are some places that need polishing, yes?"

"Yes, ma'am," Irina answered.

"And Ms. Swan will continue to work with you until you have perfected it?"

"That's the plan, Ms. Volturi."

"Good. Well then, I look forward to seeing the completed routine at Nationals. Jessica, may I please speak with you in your office. Have a nice night, ladies." Jane and the others she was with swooped past Jessica who followed sheepishly behind.

As soon as Jane was out the door, the girls started to scream and jump up and down. Rosalie leapt up and scooped little Sarah into her arms. She ran over to Irina and hugged her tightly. I scanned the gym and saw Bella standing at the back doors.

She nodded her head for me to join her. I left Alice in the stands and ran past the slew of screaming girls (who, for once, were not screaming for me) and met Bella in the back hallway.

"I just figured you'd like to get out of there before the girls noticed you and turned their screaming on you full blast," she laughed.

"Bella, what is this? What's going on?" I demanded.

"I'm sorry, I meant to call you, but my phone doesn't work in this concrete box. Jane Volturti, our sponsor, dropped by at the last minute to see the progress the girls had made. Luckily, they've been working their asses of so everything went okay…"

I sighed, that wasn't what I meant. I wanted to know what she was doing here. But, something about her statement caught my attention.

"_Our _sponsor."

"Well, um… yes. This is where I tutor… I 'm mostly doing blocking and staging from the press box now, but I've been working with Irina privately for about six months."

"You danced ballet?"

"Yes, Edward… can we talk about this later?" That caught me off guard.

I narrowed my eyes at her.

"I promise I'll tell you everything. Just not tonight. Let's just have a pleasant dinner, okay," she practically pleaded with me. How could I deny her anything?

"Alright, later then."

Just then Alice came dancing over to us.

"Edward what happened to you?"

"Nothing, umm Alice, this is Bella. Bella, Alice," I said, gesturing in between them.

"Hi! It's so nice to meet you!" Alice said enthusiastically.

"You too, I'm so glad you could join us for dinner."

"Bella," someone called.

Bella turned around just as the dancer, Irina, slammed into her and threw her arms around Bella's neck.

"That was unbelievable! Thank you! I never thought I'd get a solo. I just… thank you!" By this point she was bouncing up and down and squeezing Bella extremely tightly.

"You're welcome, Irina… can't breathe, honey."

She released her grip and giggled, "Sorry."

Just then, Rosalie and Sarah come strolling up the hallway. "A little excitable, isn't she?" Rosalie asked Bella, and then she noticed Alice and me standing there. "Bella, I never would have pegged you for having Cullenitis."

"What?" Alice and I asked at the same time.

"Rose, please. This is Edward and his friend Alice. They'll be joining us for dinner tonight," Bella said.

"No. Way," was all Irina could manage.

"_This_ is who you've been canoodling with at Roger's?" Rosalie asked in disbelief.

"We were NOT canoodling! He's a good friend, and I would appreciate it if you two would behave yourselves," Bella said defensively.

"Cool your jets Bella. We've already been introduced anyways," Rosalie said.

"Well _I _haven't!" Irina chimed in, "Hi, I'm Irina Hale. I'm Rose's little sister," she said, shaking my hand.

"It's nice to meet you, Irina," I said, smiling.

Bella glared at her. "Alright, I'm sufficiently embarrassed now. Would you mind at least taking the embarrassment back to my apartment? I'm starving."

Rosalie giggled, "You bet, see you guys there." Rosalie grabbed Irina's arm and began dragging her away with Sarah in tow.

"Wait! Where's Emmett!" Bella shouted after Rosalie.

"He took Henry to his football practice. He'll meet us there!" Rosalie shouted back and then she was gone.

"I'm really sorry about them. Rose is my brother's wife. I love her dearly, and I think of her as a sister. But she can be a little…tenacious. And Irina… well I think of her as a sister too. But she's still only seventeen, so sometimes… she acts like she's seventeen. I'll make sure they behave themselves at dinner," Bella said quickly.

I laughed, "Don't worry about it."

"I know it's a pet peeve of yours, and I just don't want you to be uncomfortable. You don't have to come over if you don't want too…" Bella said tentatively.

I cut her off, "Bella, I said don't worry about it. They seem like really nice people, and I would love to get to know them, especially since they're your family," I assured her.

Bella looked sheepishly up at me and smiled, "Okay, if you're sure… come on, you guys have to be hungry." She turned on her heel and the three of us headed out to the parking lot.

And I was sure. Yes, fans annoy the crap out of me, but these two ladies weren't half as bad as some of the other crazies I've put up with. They seemed the type that, once they got over the shock of being around a movie star, they would get over it and treat me as normally as Bella does. I had just never stuck around long enough for people to get used to being around me before. I would get annoyed too quickly. But, for Bella, I'd do anything.

As we were walking out, Alice was strangely quiet. I elbowed her, and she just shook her head and held up one finger to indicate that she would tell me in a second.

Once we were back in our car, Alice finally spoke, "She's a keeper, Edward."

**********************************

_Woohoo! they're okay! And were off to dinner at Bella's!_

_Some people guessed what Bella did, but, remember, you don't have the whole story yet! There are still some secrets to be revealed! So I hope you'll all stop back!_

_If you are so inclined, please leave a review, they make me happy =) Cause I like to know what you all are thinking!_

_And please stop by the forums and hang out! We're cool people, I promise._

_Thanks to my computer challeneged beta, Val, Two peas in a pod when it comes to computers, we are. =D_

_And thanks again to all my reviewers, they really do make me happy!_

_See you again soon!_

_~Delta_


	8. True Lies

Just Like the Movies

Chapter 7

True Lies

_As we were walking out, Alice was strangely quiet. I elbowed her, and she just shook her head and held up one finger to indicate that she would tell me in a second._

_Once we were back in our car, Alice finally spoke, "She's a keeper, Edward."_

"What on Earth do you mean, Alice?"

"She's so sweet and kind. I mean, it's obvious she wants you to come over for dinner, but she'd rather you be comfortable than anything. It's rare that you find a person who would do that for a family member much less a movie star."

"Bella doesn't see me that way. I mean, she's aware of it, hence her reaction. And she picks on me occasionally, but she doesn't focus on it at all. We just… are."

I could feel Alice's stare on me as I followed Bella down some winding roads and extremely confusing streets all labeled with different signs, "One Way", "Do Not Enter," etcetera. It was a maze. I was secretly glad Bella hadn't attempted to give me directions, because that would have been a disaster.

We finally pulled up to a small white building; it looked to be a duplex. I parked my car on the street and met Bella at the edge of her driveway.

"Well, here it is, home sweet home," she said as she led us through the front door.

The inside of her home was, in a word, cozy. She had two big recliners and one huge couch facing a modest TV in her living room. There were picture frames hanging on the walls, each containing some piece of Bella's family history. Irina was twirling Sarah around in circles, and Rosalie was busying herself in the kitchen.

As soon as Bella was through the door, Rosalie rounded on her, "You mind telling me what that was all about?"

"Rose, I'm sorry… I just I wanted to help Irina. She's very talented," Bella said as she looked over at Irina.

Rosalie took a long look at Bella face, like she was debating asking more questions, but she didn't speak again.

"Aunt Bella! Look! I'm dancing!" Sarah squealed as Irina spun her around again.

"I see! You're doing wonderfully! Come on, I'll take to back to my office, okay?" Bella smiled as she took the little girl's hand. "Irina will you watch her while Rose and I get dinner ready?"

"Of course, come on squirt, let's go." Irina took Sarah's other hand and the three of them disappeared down the hallway.

"I hope you guys like pasta," Rosalie said.

"Yeah, that sounds great," I answered.

"It's all homemade too, even the noodles. Bella's been working all day."

"Oh, she didn't have to go through so much trouble…" Alice said.

Rosalie laughed, "Are you kidding? Bella loves to cook. It's like a stress reliever for her…" she hesitated and after putting a large pan of water on the stove to boil, turned to me. "I wanted to apologize for earlier. I know that you guys get random people talking to you all the time. It must be really annoying."

"You have no idea," I said, smiling at her.

She chuckled, "Yeah, Irina and I just wanted to mess with Bella at the end there. She told us about you, but she never mentioned your name. So forgive us if we were a little shocked."

That sounded like Bella. She wouldn't want to flaunt my identity; people would get the wrong idea.

"It's not a big deal, but thank you for understanding. And trust me, you were very mild compared to some of the other fans we've had to deal with," I told her.

"Well, I'm glad my sister and I fall on the mild side of 'crazy fan' interactions," Rosalie said.

Just then Bella came walking back in from the hallway, "Can I get you guys something to drink?"

"No, thank you," Alice said.

"Nope, I'm good," I said, smiling at her. But she didn't smile back. Instead, she got this smug expression and turned to the fridge.

"So, Alice," Bella began as she pulled various ingredients out of the fridge, "Is Edward as obnoxious to you as he is to me?"

I glared at Bella, who smiled innocently at me. Alice started to laugh.

"Oh, Bella you and I are going to get along just fine," she managed through her fit of giggles.

The front door burst open, and a little boy of about five, with a wild tuft of sandy hair, came crashing into the room, "Aunt Bella!" The little boy ran past everyone else, and Bella scooped him up in her arms. "I missed you!"

She laughed, "Henry, I saw you yesterday!"

"That's a long time," he complained.

"Hi, Mom! Wow, I love you! It's so great to see you," Rosalie said sarcastically to the air.

"Sorry Rose," Bella said over Henry's shoulder. Bella put Henry down, "go say hi to your mom." Henry giggled as he stumbled across the kitchen floor and kissed his mom on the cheek.

"That's better. Go find your sister; she's back in Bella office," Rosalie told her son. The little boy took off like a shot down the hallway.

"Hey! Where's the food," a very large man with curly brown hair said from the door. He walked over to Rosalie and planted a sweet kiss on her lips.

"Give us half an hour, Emmett, for crying out loud," Bella said.

"Who's this?" Emmett asked, looking at Alice and I. "Is he your friend from the diner?"

"Yep," Bella said simply, "Edward and his friend, Alice. Guys, this is my brother Emmett."

"Wait, aren't you Edward _Cullen_, the actor?"

"That's me," I said, extending my hand to shake his and fighting the urge to roll my eyes. For some reason, I wanted Emmett to accept me… to trust me. And I didn't think mocking my fame would help that.

He was staring me down as we shook hands, images of Emmett on a front porch with a baseball bat flashed through my mind.

He turned to Alice, and they shook hands as well.

"Nice to meet you both, glad you could join us tonight. I've been begging Bella to have a pasta night for…"

"Hush, Emmett, I made pasta for you last Wednesday! You act like I starve you," Bella said, now stirring a huge pot of sauce.

"Not you… Rose."

Rosalie promptly turned around and smacked Emmett on the back of the head. Bella snickered.

Once dinner was finished and the table was set, we all sat down at Bella's small dining room table. The conversation was easy, smooth, comfortable. Every now and again, I would meet Bella's eyes. She would always blush and look away quickly before anyone could notice we were looking at each other. I attempted to derail that trend by actually speaking to her.

"The food is fantastic, Bella," I complimented her.

"Thank you. It's my mother's recipe. She lives in Florida, and Emmett and I don't get to see her often. Poor Emmett can't go a week without one of Mom's dinners."

"Listen, jerk," Emmett started.

"Language, Emmet!" Rosalie hissed.

The kids laughed, and Bella stuck her tongue out at Emmett. Alice and I exchanged a glance; she looked about as amused as I felt.

Dinner conversation lead to our careers. I learned that Emmett was an engineer, but he helped coach a high school football team in the evenings. Rosalie was a part-time dental hygienist, but she liked spending time with her kids more than anything.

Bella's family was wonderful. Not for a second did I feel out of place. They included Alice and I in conversation. They joked with us and asked us questions…questions that I didn't mind answering. When everyone had finished eating, we all helped clear the dining room table. Sarah and Henry saw their chance to escape after the long, boring dinner with the 'grown-ups' and ran to the living room to watch TV.

As the girls washed the dishes, Emmett and I sat at the kitchen table, each drinking a beer. Eventually Alice got Rosalie talking about the shopping scene in Chicago. I was surprised it took her this long.

"Oh, I'll have to take you downtown. I don't know many of the upscale places, but there are some smaller shops that really have some good stuff," Rosalie exclaimed.

"Really? You'd go with me?" Alice asked, surprised.

"Yeah! I mean as long as you want too. Bella refuses to go with me anymore."

Bella shot Rosalie a look.

"What? You don't," Rosalie said innocently. "You haven't let me look through your closet in like… two months, Bella."

"That's almost cruel," Alice exclaimed, passing Rosalie another dish.

"Can't you guys just leave her alone?" I said before my brain could stop me.

Alice noticed nothing, or if she did, she had enough tact to ignore my comment. Rosalie just shook her head, none the wiser. Irina, too, didn't seem to pick up on anything.

But Bella and Emmett, they noticed, just like I did. They didn't just hear a simple request. They heard me coming to Bella's defense. Bella was glowing. She smiled and mouthed 'thank you' to me. But, Emmett… Emmett looked at me like I was the devil himself. I knew then that I wouldn't be escaping a conversation with him before the evening was out.

"Come on Bella, show me what you have!" Alice said.

Bella made no move, but Irina and Rosalie simultaneously placed their hands on Bella's shoulders and led her out of the kitchen, down the hall to what I assumed was her bedroom. Alice skipping behind them, she couldn't resist an opportunity to redo someone's closet.

I chuckled and looked toward Emmett, but he had gotten up from the table and gone to the living room. I didn't exactly feel awkward sitting in the kitchen alone, but I felt as though I should follow him. As I entered the living room, Emmett was throwing blankets over Sarah and Henry who were both passed out on the couch. He took a seat in one of the recliners… and after a moment of hesitation, I took a seat in the other.

"So, what's going on with you and my sister?" Emmett asked, starting the unavoidable conversation.

"Uhh, nothing. I mean, we're friends. I enjoy her company, that's all."

"Look, I know you're some hot shot movie star. You've got a lot of money. And I'm sure the chicks just throw themselves at your feet. But don't fuck around with Bella, I mean it."

"I understand. I promise; it's nothing like that. We're just friends... I would never do anything to hurt her."

"Bella can't go through something like that again," he said almost to himself.

"I'm sorry?"

Emmett looked up at me with the same sadness in his eyes that I had once seen in Bella's, "I take it she hasn't told you."

"Told me what?"

"Well, she won't like it, but I think you need to know. She likes you and… it's hard for her to talk about."

"Please, I'd like to know." I was so desperate for any kind of information. I wanted to hear it from Bella herself. But so many things had happened in the last few hours, and this was the person that she trusted more than anyone. That surely meant that I could trust him too.

"Bella is a fantastic dancer… was a fantastic dancer. She was in a local troupe that traveled around the country. They won competitions everywhere they went. They were unique; they used ballet as their core form instead of hip hop or jazz like so many troupes out there."

"You couldn't be a dancer, know a dancer, or have anything to do with dancing in this city without knowing the name of Bella Swan. She taught at schools, gave speeches, choreographed; she _did_ it all. Her pride and joy was the Blue Island High School dance Team. Under her leadership they won the silver medal at the Nationals last year. She was getting ready to go back to school and… she was engaged; she _had _it all."

I felt like I had been punched in the gut. Bella was engaged?

"Was engaged? What happened to him?"

"Nothing… Bella came home from work one day last fall and… he broke up with her. He just walked out on her, after a year and a half. She was stunned, shocked, crushed. From what she could remember, she was standing in her kitchen. He was already long gone, but Bella didn't know that. She panicked and ran after him. When she got outside, she tripped and fell down the stairs. She had broken ribs, a black eye… the works. She tried to climb back up the stairs to get help, and that's where her neighbor found her. She called the paramedics, and they rushed her to the hospital." Emmett paused and took a deep breath.

"She would have been fine if she hadn't landed on her God damned wrist. She went through three surgeries just to put it back together. She can barley use it at all now in just the normal day-to-day stuff… much less dance. The force she would use in her routines, even if it was just a simple gesture, would cause her a great deal of pain. If she couldn't even wave to the crowd, how the hell could she do the tumbling and all that other crazy gymnastic shit?"

"She was devastated. Dancing was her life and… she blamed herself for ruining it. If she would have just stayed calm about Mike, none of this would have happened."

"Mike," I sneered. What kind of idiot would willingly leave this girl?

"She had to give up her head coaching position at Blue Island. Jessica took over for her. But, she still goes in to help with the overall look and what not. She left the public light and stopped working with the dancers; she said it was too much for her. So when Rosalie called me tonight and told me that Bella's been tutoring Irina… yeah that's a big fucking deal. Bella doesn't even mention the word 'dance' anymore, and yet, she's been helping Irina achieve her dream," Emmett said, shaking his head. "That's my sister for you. But, all that aside…the truth is… I haven't seen her smile like she did tonight in months."

I was puzzled by this new information. Bella didn't seem any different to me. And I was intrigued by the fact that she hadn't mentioned dancing to her family in such a long time. Last week, Bella willingly told me about how she used to be a good dancer and then she proved it to me!

What did that mean?

Just then the girls came back from Bella's bedroom, laughing quietly.

"Oh, Emmett, we need to get these kids to bed," Rosalie said, picking up Sarah.

"Yep, they're totally zonked," he said, picking up Henry.

We all exchanged quiet goodbyes as everyone got ready to leave.

"Bye guys, thanks for coming," Bella said as she kissed everyone on the cheek and helped the happy family out the door, Irina tagging along.

"Thank you so much for having us Bella. It was wonderful," Alice said as she pulled Bella in for a hug.

"You're welcome. It was so nice meeting you."

"You promise you'll let me take you shopping?"

Bella giggled, "I suppose, if it'll make you happy."

Alice squealed and hugged Bella again.

"I'll meet you at the car," I said quietly to Alice. She gave Bella a final wave and skipped out the door.

"I'm sorry we didn't really get a chance to talk tonight," Bella said.

"Well, there's always next week," I told her.

She smiled at me. A smile that apparently hadn't made an appearance around her family in months, but it was a smile that I was almost used to. At least, I would be used to it, if it didn't knock the breath out of me every time I saw it.

"I promise, Edward. I'll explain everything. Thank you for coming tonight, it really meant a lot to me."

"You bet. I'll call you, when I have a second to breathe. We'll set something up for next Thursday. Or whenever, I don't care, as long as we can get together."

"Okay, sounds good. Goodnight, Edward."

"Sweet dreams, Bella."

She nodded as she closed the door behind me. As I drove Alice back to our hotel, my thoughts wandered back to what Emmett had told me. I was at a loss as to why anyone would want Bella out of their lives. But more than that, I thought about how Bella looked when we danced. I thought about what a wonderful ballerina she must have been and how losing such a big part of her life would affect her.

I tried to swallow the lump of emotion that was building up in my throat. You don't feel this way over just a casual friendship. It was in that moment that I knew I cared for Bella, much more than I thought I did. She was, perhaps, my only true friend. I could tell her anything, I knew that. But the amazing thing to me was that I not only knew that I could count on her if I needed her, but that I wanted to be there for her too. I wanted her to feel like she could count on me. I wanted her to know that I would be there for her, that I would protect her. And for the first time, it finally felt like maybe she did.

****************************

_Whew! So what did you guys think? We got to meet Bella's family and we learned some more about her._

_I'm really eager to hear your opinions as the puzzle comes together, so if you have a moment..._

_A. Stop by the Twilighted forums. There is a thread for this story and a bunch of really awesome other stories too! Plus it's totally full of cool people._

_PLUS... I post teasers and other little insights for this story on my thread over there!_

_B. Leave a review! I seriously love to hear what you guys think, and I try to leave comments on some of the reviews too!_

_Thanks major to Val, the red pen beta extordinaire_

_and to everyone else who has stuck with me!_

_See you again soon!_

_~Delta_


	9. Lost in Translation

Just Like the Movies

Chapter 8

Lost In Translation

I was happy…happier than I have been in a long time. I think, for the first time since I got my first movie role, I felt – normal. I felt like everyone else. I finally had a group of people who conversed with me because I'm Edward. Not because I'm Edward Cullen, the actor.

Bella had introduced me to some amazing people. Rosalie and Irina were balls of energy, who didn't take crap from anyone. Sarah and Henry were adorable kids who brought out this glow in Bella that I hadn't seen before. And Emmett…Emmett was everything Bella said he was. Her big brother, her protector, and he was certainly very accomplished at those tasks. These were _real _people, people with families and jobs and responsibilities. Things that I was just starting to realize I had too. I had a family, who I was already planning on visiting shortly after I returned to Hollywood. I had a job, which I was more grateful for than I ever had been. And I had responsibilities; I had to do my job, and visit my family, and stay loyal to my girlfriend.

I think there had always been some measure of doubt in my mind when I came to Tanya. But, I had made up my mind. I would stay with her at least until I was back in Hollywood. I owed her that. She had done nothing wrong; she had, in fact, only tried to be what she thought I wanted her to be. And it would be wrong of me to end a relationship with her over the phone, especially when I didn't have a good reason too.

Saturday was the first day that Mr. Howard allowed us an actual dinner break, not the usual mad grab for snacks from the craft services table in between takes. Alice offered to take me out for Chinese, but I opted for a prepackaged chicken sandwich and a quiet picnic table in the shade of the setting sun.

I pulled out my cell phone and dialed…555-5629. There were two rings before I heard that voice say my name, a voice that calmed me and made me happy, and at this moment, that voice sounded happy too.

"Edward."

"Hi, Bella," I couldn't help but smile.

"How are you?"

"Tired, Mr. Howard has been working us pretty hard. How about you?"

"I'm okay, it was a long week. I'm kinda glad it's over," she said with a sense of relief in her voice.

"Yeah, I wish I got to work 8 to 5 like normal people. Unfortunately, we'll most likely be here until 1 in the morning or so, and then I have to report back at 6 for make-up and what not."

"That sucks," she mused.

"Tell me about it," I laughed, but then I got to the reason I'd called her, "So, Thursdays are still the only day I can hang out."

"That's okay with me; I'm just at the high school so late."

"I don't mind, really," I told her.

"Roger's closes at 8, so I'll be happy to cook for you again. Rose and Emmett won't be coming over this week, so it'd just be you and me, unless you wanted to bring Alice, which is fine too," she was beginning to ramble so I cut her off.

"No, it'll just be me this week; I really want to talk to you… just you," I told her truthfully.

"Yeah, me too. I'm really sorry I wasn't up front with you about all this," she apologized.

"Bella, all of this is important, and I hate talking about important stuff over the phone. So, let's just be blissfully ignorant until Thursday."

"All right, well, Thursday it is," she announced.

"Do you mind if I meet you at the high school again? I'm not sure I could find my way to your apartment again…neither my memory nor my sense of direction is any match for the meandering way we had to take to get there."

She laughed, "Of course."

"Okay and what will be on the menu, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Nosy, aren't we?"

"Not at all! Inquiring minds want to know!"

"I don't know… what would you like?"

"Steak and potatoes?"

"You're easy," she laughed.

"That's what she…"

Bella cut me off "I swear to God, Edward."

"What?! It's a funny joke!" I defended.

"Shut up. I'll see you on Thursday. Steak and potatoes."

"I love getting a rise out of you," I would make her say it.

"I'm not saying it, Edward," she sneered.

"Yes, you are, I'm not getting off the phone till you say it."

It was silent.

I waited.

"That's what she said. Goodbye now, Edward," she hung up before I could laugh at her.

Yes, I was happy, happier than I had been in a long time.

**************************

I sat in the parking lot of Blue Island High, like the coward I was. I had seriously, seriously, gotten off lucky the last time I was here. Bella had gotten me out of there fast enough that I only had to deal with her family, but I didn't know if my luck would hold up.

I really wanted to go inside. It was hot, sticky and gross outside, and I looked like a serious tool sitting alone in my car with the AC turned up so high that, if my hair were longer, I could toss it in the arctic blast.

I finally gave up and made my way inside. I followed the same path I had walked the week before and was met with the same wonderful dancers, the same coaches, and no Bella. However, I looked up into the stands and saw Rosalie and little Sarah again, so I scurried up the stands to sit with her. I kept my head low and my eyes averted as I sat down.

"Hey, Edward, good to see you again," Rosalie said cheerfully.

"You too, Rosalie. How have you been?"

"Not too bad, actually," she said, playing with Sarah's hair as the little girl appeared to be mesmerized by the dancers.

"So, what brings you back here?" I asked her.

"I usually give Irina a ride to and from practice, but Sarah loves watching the girls dance, so we just stay." She paused for a moment, "Bella cooking you dinner again?"

"Yes, she didn't tell you?" I asked confused.

"No, Bella keeps to herself. I mean, I see her all the time, but we always talk about the kids, or Emmett, or the national debt, never about Bella. It makes me kind of sad actually."

"How so?"

"I just wish I could help her. She sits up in that press box every practice. She watches, she analyzes, she even gives her notes to Jessica, but she never talks about it. Ever."

I tried to keep my thoughts in check, and I found the only way to do so was to ask a question that I really couldn't give a shit about, something to keep my mind off of what Bella was going through.

"Who's Jessica?"

"Jessica took over the troupe after Bella gave it up."

"Gave it up? Why would she do that?"

"You'll have to ask her. I have no idea. But, she did. Jessica has done alright, but she's no Bella Swan. Bella got these girls to care about dancing. I mean they loved it before, but it was just something for them to do. She made them truly care. She made them want to be the best. And they were so close last year. But even though they missed first place, I've never seen Bella so happy, and then she just gave it all up."

Rosalie was staring off in the distance, regret and anger written all over her face. I was sure that she and Bella had been close at one time, but now, from what I could tell, Bella seemed to have completely shut herself off from everyone in her life. I could tell Rosalie was angry about this, but it was like, for some reason, she felt she couldn't say anything about it to Bella. _But, I could._ No. It's none of my business. This was between Rosalie and Bella. I needed to just stay out of it.

After Jessica called all the girls to the center of the gym, I took that moment to sneak out the back door as I had done the last time. Bella followed soon after.

"Hey there," she said quietly.

"Hey, I'm starved," I told her.

She rolled her eyes at me "Nice to see you too."

I laughed, "I'm just kidding."

"I know, that's why I like you," she said, poking me in the chest.

I smirked and held my arm out for her to take. She snaked her tiny arm through mine and, we walked to our cars.

***************

Back at her apartment, Bella refused to allow me to help prepare dinner. So, I sat in the kitchen and just watched her. I had never noticed how elegant she was before. The way she held herself was like nothing I'd ever seen. Her shoulders were square and her posture was immaculate. But she kept her head down and often looked up at me through her eyelashes.

After the steaks were cooked and the potatoes mashed, we finally sat down. I had to bite my tongue to keep the questions from coming out in overwhelming quantities. Then it hit me, Bella wanted to tell me about herself, about why she is acting the way she is. But, I already know why. Emmett had told me. She was obviously heartbroken over this… this… Mike. And I didn't wait for her to tell me. I choked back the fear that was building up inside me. No matter how difficult this conversation was going to be, I wasn't going fuck anything else up by being afraid to tell the truth.

"Bella, I know you had some… things you wanted to tell me," I said quietly.

"Yes,"

"Well, I just wanted to let you know that… I talked with Emmett last week. He told me about… about Mike, and how you were in… shock when you tripped," I said all this very slowly, my eyes never leaving Bella's and trying to express through them that I wasn't going anywhere.

"You talked with Emmett," she asked.

"Yes. I'm sorry. He knows how hard it is for you to talk about so…" She cut me off.

"So _Emmett_ told you what happened to me," she asked, which was odd; I had just told her that I had spoken with him.

"Yeah. Bella are you okay? Please don't be mad at him. Be mad at me. It was my fault. I was just so desperate to know anything about you."

She looked up at me through her eyelashes again. "No, Edward, I'm not mad. Emmett knows me too well; I don't like to talk about it. And well, I want you to know… I made you a promise…" She trailed off.

I knew exactly what I was doing this time. There was no strange lapse in my brain; I just knew what had to be done. I reached across the table and took her hand in mine.

"Bella, I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

"No, it's okay." She gave my hand a squeeze then released it. "Mike was my fiancé. We were together for a year and a half, and he owned a Sporting Goods store about 30 miles from here. I haven't seen or heard from him since our relationship ended," she said straight forwardly and unemotionally, as if she were just reciting previously memorized facts. There was absolutely no feeling behind the words.

Bella folded her arms over the top of the table; she was absentmindedly rubbing her left wrist. She looked distant and guarded. She must still be in love with him, poor Bella. I tried to contain my anger for this man, leaving her so abruptly, without any feeling.

She changed the subject quickly, "Dancing was my life. When I was growing up, I was such a klutz…ok, so I'm still a bit of a klutz now, but nothing like I used to be. Anyway, so in order to improve my balance, my mother signed me up for ballet lessons. Well, it didn't help my coordination during everyday life, but it did cause me to fall in love with music. I danced to everything and whenever music comes on, it's like… the klutz leaves and I become this graceful and elegant ballerina. It was quite a phenomenon," she laughed.

"So after I fell in love with music, it wasn't long till I fell in love with dancing. I took lessons all through high school, and then when I moved to Chicago for college, I joined their dance team."

"Why did you come to Chicago? Was it just for school?"

"I grew up in Forks, Washington. My parents divorced when I was in 6th grade. Emmett was a sophomore in high school, and my mom didn't want to uproot us and take us away from all of our friends. So we stayed with our dad, while my mom moved to Florida. It wasn't bad; we still visited our mom whenever we could. But life in Forks is quiet, and Emmett isn't exactly a quiet person. He got the hell out of there as soon as he could. He came to school here, in Chicago, and when the time came for me to choose, well, I missed my brother and came out here to be with him. And I just never left."

"Where is your dad now?" I asked.

"Oh, he's still in Forks. Emmett and I go out there every Christmas, and he adores Sarah and Henry. He's the world's best grandpa," she laughed.

"He used to love to come and see me dance. I never would have imagined, a guy like him, but he came to every recital without fail. He even flew out here a couple of times to see me dance with my college troupe, and then again once I started my own troupe after college," her tone warmed as she spoke of her father. "I think he was really proud of me," she added quietly.

"I'm sure he still is," I told her.

Bella shrugged her shoulders in a gesture of non-committal, "Yeah…" She took a deep breath and continued.

"After I got hurt, things changed; _I_ changed. I was in and out of the hospital for two months. The doctors finally got my wrist pieced back together, my ribs healed, and my bruises went away, but I wasn't the same anymore."

"I couldn't dance. I tried, oh my goodness did I try. But, every time I did, I would end up crumpled on the floor, begging for ice," she said bitterly. "I just couldn't do it anymore. It was like I was empty. I felt that I had to quit my head coaching position at the high school. I just couldn't be around dancing anymore. Of course, Jessica was more than willing to take over my spot. And all I wanted to do was forget that I had ever put on a pair of Pointe toes…"

"So I just stopped talking about it. I didn't even want to think the word "dance". I knew I was fighting a losing battle but, damn it, I tried. I tried to stay away." She sighed, "I lasted a month. I missed it so much it hurt, so I gave in and went to a practice. I didn't let anyone see me, and no one knew I was there. I got there early and hid in the press box. Jessica wasn't doing half bad, and I wanted to let her know that. I was going to leave a note for her in her office, but when I went to leave it there, I saw Jane Volturi was already there."

"Jane Volturi is a grade-A bitch, but she is a fantastic dancer and a huge dance enthusiast. She also comes from old money. When I was coaching, she had been impressed by what I had been doing with the girls and offered to sponsor our trips to competitions, buy our uniforms, and even give the coaches a bonus. She was a life saver, even if she was Satan's spawn."

"I heard her talking to Jessica about the solo routine. Each dance troupe must have a soloist at Nationals, and it's what cost us the gold medal last year. I had gone against my better judgment and let Jessica choreograph a hip hop routine. Jane knew that, so she was meeting with Jessica to demand a ballet routine this year. No one does ballet at Nationals; it would be refreshing and different. Jessica smiled and assured Jane that our soloist would do a ballet routine. I knew that Jessica was lying just to get Jane off her back. You see, there was one major problem with Jessica's promise to teach a ballet routine… neither she nor any of the other coaches can dance ballet! How do they expect to teach a high school girl about ballet if they don't know anything about it themselves," Bella fumed.

"I _knew _she would just ignore Jane and go ahead with a hip hop routine, and I _knew_ Jane would threaten her sponsorship when the time came…like I said, Satan's spawn. I couldn't let that happen to my girls… So I swallowed the pain, and I began watching the girls, looking for potential. I found it in Irina, surprisingly enough. I sat down with her and offered to teach her some of what I knew. She was, of course, ecstatic. I figured it would be easier for me to teach one girl as opposed to thirty, plus it was for a good cause."

"And it was, hard for me, teaching her…both physically and mentally. But I did it anyway, and Irina turned out to have a real gift for ballet. Now, she's going to solo at Nationals…" Bella finally smiled.

"And of course, I still couldn't stay away from my girls, and I stopped hiding the fact that I was at their practices. But, after I addressed the girls and told them that I would be in the press box, I didn't talk to them anymore. I couldn't. And I've had to choke back tears at every practice. I decided that it was best for all of us if I maintained a distance. So I sat in the press box and took notes, and I go over them with Jessica later. It's a pitiful existence, but damn it, it's all I have left. And at least the girls know I'm still with them, in some form anyway."

"I know that there is no way I could handle being head coach again; I could barely handle coaching just Irina. But I need to be around dancing. I just can't be a _part of_ it like I used too. It hurts too much, because I can't _do it_ myself anymore."

"Bella, I don't know what to say." That wasn't true. My mind had been searching frantically for answers as she told me her sad story. What if she got physical therapy? Wouldn't that help? She could dance again, coach again... I could feel my excitement begin to grow; she would be so happy. She would jump up and down and throw her arms around me. I, of course, would pay for it. She would be so grateful… all I wanted was to help my friend.

She was staring at her dinner plate, and she looked so defeated. I made up my mind; I would offer to help her.

"Bella?"

"Yeah?" She looked up at me with those doe eyes of hers and it further cemented my resolve.

"Have you ever thought about physical therapy?"

"Yes, but I don't have the insurance to cover it. My wrist is mostly functional for everyday tasks so, I don't really think about it too much. Besides, it may not work, so there is no way I could justify paying all that money for something that may not help my wrist at all," she said sadly.

"What if someone offered to pay for it?"

"Like who," she asked with a laugh.

"Me." She stared at me blankly for a moment before anger distorted her face.

"Absolutely not," she said firmly. That was not the reaction I was expecting.

"Why not?" I asked, stunned.

"I'm not some charity case, Edward," she said angrily.

"I never said you were. You're my friend, and I want to help you be happy!"

"I am happy, Edward," she said in an angry whisper.

"Bullshit," I said before I could stop myself.

"Excuse me?" She yelled.

Well it was out now. I might as well make my point. "You are not happy, Bella. You sit here talking about these girls you love, and I'm giving you a chance to get them back, to be able to be with them again. Not only that, but what about Rosalie and Emmett? They love you Bella! And when I was talking to Rosalie about it today, she gave me the impression that you have closed yourself off from them. You've cut out the two most important people in your life, Bella! Happy people don't do that!"

"You talked to Rosalie about me too!"

"Don't change the subject! You don't even smile for Emmett anymore; he said that last week was the most he'd seen you smile in months," I sneered.

Suddenly, I knew I should have kept my mouth shut. I looked at Bella, and she didn't look angry… she looked heartbroken… what have I done.

"You're one to talk, Edward," Bella said in a low tone.

The guilt washed away in that one sentence. "What?"

"You're not happy either," she yelled, her eyes filling with tears.

"What do _you_ know about my happiness or lack thereof?" I yelled back.

"If you were happy, you'd be on the phone with your girlfriend instead of having dinner with me," she screeched.

I was stunned. I recoiled as if she had slapped me. There was only one thing I could do.

"I'm done," I snarled as I shoved away from the table, making the chair scrape across the floor.

"Yeah, I guess you are," Bella sneered right back.

I didn't hesitate. I slammed the door on my way out and fought the tears all the way back to the hotel.

***********************************

_This one was kinda hard to get through. Hopefully you guys understand Bella a little bit more._

_Reactions to their little tiff? okay, a big tiff? What about the fact that Edward was just starting to feel happy again? What about Bella's reaction to Edward's new about Emmett spilling the beans? I'm still all ears about theories!_

_If you have a second, stop by over at the Twilighted forums. I post teasers and other insights on the thread for this story, plus, we're a lot of fun! =D_

_annnd please leave a review. I adore hearing from everyone, it makes me happy and i do try and respond to your questions, if you should havy any!_

_Thanks to my Evile Beta, Val. And she is evile, but we wouldn't have her any other way ;)_

_See you again soon!_

_~Delta _


	10. Center Stage

Just Like the Movies

Chapter 9

Center Stage

Once I was back in my hotel room, I began to mull over the conversation in my head. She can't be right… she doesn't know me. Who is she to tell me about my happiness? I felt my heart lurch.

I tried to tell her about her happiness.

God damn it.

No. It doesn't matter; she had no right to talk to me like that. I was just trying to help her, trying to do something nice for her and she spat in my face.

I flung myself onto my bed, lying on my back. I stared at the ceiling, willing myself to sleep. It was all in vain of course. I needed to talk about this, I needed to bitch at someone about this, and I needed someone to tell me that I was right, because I was.

So I picked up my phone and called the person _she_ thought was making me unhappy…I'd show her…

"_Baby!_"

"Hi Tanya," I said flatly.

"_How are you? How's the movie going_?"

"Fine, I guess. I'm just having a tough time right now."

"_Oh that's too bad_," I could hear her muffle the phone as she talked to someone else in the room.

"Yeah, I had a fight with one of my friends."

"_Uh huh._"

"It was pretty bad," I was trying to get a reaction out of her. She wasn't paying attention to me at all.

"_Don't worry about it baby. I'm sure he'll forgive you_." It didn't escape my notice that she'd assumed my friend was male.

"I didn't do anything wrong!" I yelled.

"_Don't yell at me Edward Cullen_," she said.

"Sorry, I'm just really upset about this."

"_Yeah, okay, well don't be too sad about it. I'm sure it wasn't __**that**__ big of a deal._"

"Tanya," I tried to explain that it _was_ a big deal.

"_Hey, I've gotta go. Thanks for calling baby! You know I love to hear from you!_"

"But, Tanya," she ended the call before I could finish.

Shit. The one fucking time I needed her_._ This doesn't mean anything; she was just busy.

Alice! I'll call Alice. She'll be on my side. I dialed her number.

It rang a few times before a very sleepy sounding Alice answered, "_Edward… it is 11pm. We have to be at the set in… 4 hours. Screw you, I'm going to sleep,_" she mumbled.

"Please, Alice this is important!"

"_You hate talking on the phone_," she sounded a little more alert, "_this isn't just you calling to ask me some stupid question?_"

"No, Bella and I had a fight."

"_Okay, lots of people fight_," she said like she was speaking to an idiot.

"I mean… it was bad. She went completely ballistic on me. All I did was offer to pay for physical therapy to help with her hand! Then she accused me of being unhappy!"

"…_.what?"_ Alice asked confused.

I sighed, exasperated, "Bella used to be a dancer, but she hurt her wrist. So she can't anymore. And there is a chance, with physical therapy, that she might be able to dance again. Even if it doesn't get her wrist back to full strength, she might at least feel well enough to coach. But, she can't afford it, so I offered to pay."

"_Edward, did you really think that she would be all sunshine and daisies about that_?"

"Uhh, yeah!"

"_I thought you knew her better than that_," Alice said quietly.

"Alice, it's what makes her happy, and she's not happy right now! I know that much. I just want to help her Alice…"

"_Maybe that's true. But, Edward, I don't think you should be talking to me about this._"

"Excuse me? I thought you were my friend!"

"_I am Edward, but you don't want to talk to me_," she said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"What do you mean, Alice? I called _you_!"

"_Come on Edward, you want to talk to Bella. You _should_ talk to Bella_," Alice said confidently.

"I do _not_ want to talk to her. She's out of her mind. I have everything I could possibly ask for in life, and she says I'm unhappy," I scoffed.

"_Call her, Edward_," sleepy Alice was back. She had made up her mind; she wasn't going to let me vent to her.

"But, Alice," I started.

"_No, I'm going back to sleep. You better call her, I mean it. Goodnight_." She hung up before I could say anything else.

What the fuck was up with the women in my life! I decided that they were all crazy. I lay in my bed, mumbling to myself, and fuming. I got up and started pacing around my room. Bella had no right to say that. She doesn't know me. _Yes, she does._

_Shut up._

But, it was too late. She was right and I knew it. I leaned up against a wall and slid to the floor. I buried my head in my hands until I finally looked up and stared at my cell phone still lying on my bed, taunting me.

_Fuck._ Lord knows I wanted to call her. But, I couldn't. I'm so pissed at her.

_Yeah, but you're sorry too._

I got up and grabbed my cell phone. _I'm not calling her. _I pressed the button on the side to turn on the light. 11:12 pm. _I'm not calling her._ It was then that I noticed the date… I did the math in my head. Sixteen days… I was leaving for Hollywood in sixteen days.

I mentally kicked myself. I had spent all this time trying to prolong my time with her, even if she does piss me off… I still want to be with her.

I sighed. _Of course I'm fucking going to call her._

I dialed her number, and she answered on the first ring.

"_I'm sorry_," she said.

"Me too."

We were silent for a few moments.

"_I had no right to say what I did_," Bella started.

"No, Bella, you're right. And that's why I got so mad. Because you were right, and I was wrong."

"_But, Edward, you weren't wrong. I have been keeping Emmett and Rose away_," she was starting to cry, "_and I don't want to. It just… it just hurts too much_." Her sobs cut right through me, negating all the anger that I had felt over the last hour.

"Bella… please don't cry," I begged.

"_I'm sorry_," she blubbered.

"Listen, that's enough, you don't have to be sorry. I'm sorry, okay?" Her crying softened to sniffles. "I shouldn't have thrown my money around like that. I hate people who do that. I just wanted to help you, Bella."

"_I know, but I just couldn't accept something like that from you, Edward. Please don't argue with me, just try to understand_."

I took a deep, calming breath, "All right, I won't mention it again, but if you ever change your mind, and I mean whenever…5, 10, 15 years, promise you'll call me, okay?"

"_Deal_," I could hear the smile creep back into her voice.

We continued talking for, I don't know how long. We talked about Bella's family and how wonderful they've been. We talked about Alice and how much Bella liked her. We didn't talk about Tanya. Bella didn't bring her up and for some reason, I just didn't want to talk about Tanya with Bella anymore. Not because I was afraid of what she might say, but… it just felt… awkward now. We agreed to meet for dinner again the following week, at Bella's again. Finally I wasn't able to keep my eyes open anymore, and I had to say goodbye.

I didn't even bother to change out my clothes. I rolled over on my bed and finally let sleep consume me.

********************

My week had been hell. Mr. Howard kept us late almost every day. We had to go back and reshoot five scenes because the camera guy didn't use the right kind of film. Alice was getting more and more irritated as it got hotter and hotter outside. And I missed Bella.

So, needless to say, I drove a tad recklessly to Bella's on Thursday. And I'm proud to say that I didn't get lost once. I parked my car on the street again. As I made my way up the driveway I noticed all the flowers that were planted around Bella's yard. The grass and the flowers had a silver glow about them from the moonlight. It seemed so peaceful here, a place that would be nice to call home.

I walked up the stairs and timidly knocked on the door. I heard scuffling behind the door, then the deadbolt being fiddled with. It sounded like it was stuck. I was smiling like a fool by the time Bella finally wrenched the door open. She looked lovely as always. Her hair was down and slightly curled at the ends. Her eyes sparkled as she moved aside to let me in.

"Hey," she said lamely.

"Hey, what's for dinner?"

"I swear, you and Emmett. I think you guys only like me because I can cook," she said with her hands on her hips.

"Naw, you're just stupid enough to keep feeding us, so why wouldn't we come back?" I smirked at her.

"Har-har," she said sarcastically as she moved to the kitchen.

"So you think I have a career in comedy if this acting bullshit doesn't work out?"

"Don't hold your breath…," she muttered as she checked a pot on the stove. "I hope you don't mind mashed potatoes again; they're my favorite," she turned to smile at me as she took the pot off the stove.

"Not at all," I told her honestly.

"Here, movie star, make yourself useful," Bella joked while tossing me something that looked like either an element of torture or maybe something kinky.

I looked at her blankly, trying to figure out just exactly what she expected me to do with this thing.

Bella started laughing hysterically at me. "You really are out of touch with us commoners, aren't you? It's a potato masher. I already have the milk and butter measured out and heated. The measuring cup is there, on the counter. Just add them a little at a time as you mash."

I felt a little stupid for just a moment, but then I couldn't help but laugh too. It was nice, being here with her like this.

Following her instructions, I mashed the potatoes as Bella took the chicken out of the oven. Then we settled down to a comfortable meal. It was effortless as we talked and joked with each other, our fight long forgotten.

When it was getting close to midnight, I started having trouble keeping my eyes open. Twenty hour days will do that to you.

"Edward, you look exhausted."

"I am exhausted, what's it to you?" I said sarcastically.

"You know, could you stop being a jerk for five seconds please? I'm just worried about you driving home," she said.

"I'll be fine; I'll even call you when I get back to my hotel, all right?"

"All right," she agreed.

"There was something I wanted to ask you about…" she asked, hesitancy creeping into her voice.

That woke me up.

"Yeah?"

"Well, Blue Island High School does this thing called a 'preview' every year. It's a big deal actually; it usually brings about 1,000 people in. The marching band, the summer choir, and the dance team all perform at it. It's a chance for the choir and the marching band to show off what they have planned for the fall season. For the girls though… it's like our dress rehearsal for Nationals. Anyway, it's this Saturday and… it would really mean a lot to me if you'd come."

"Bella, I would love to go, and I'm sure I can weasel my way out of work. But that's a lot of people to dodge. I can manage 20 at practices, but a whole gym full?"

"Oh, that wouldn't be a problem; I would still sit in the press box. And I get there early, before anyone else. So we could sneak up there and watch," she said mischievously.

I smiled at her, "Careful there, tiger. Are you trying to trick me into your lair so you can have your wicked way with me?" I smiled devilishly at her.

"Gee, Edward, who would have guessed you were such a perv? Please say you'll come," she asked with so much hope in her eyes that I don't know if anyone would have been able to say 'no'. But she was going to have to wait for my answer just a little bit longer. This was too much fun.

"That's what she said," I knew I shouldn't, but I just couldn't resist.

Bella tried to look mad, but failed miserably. Her lips were twitching like crazy as she struggled to contain her laughter. "You're impossible," she finally managed to accuse me as some giggles escaped. "So are you going with me or not?" "Of course, I'll go. I'll even pick you up," I announced.

"You don't have to do that."

"Bella, you've said this means a lot to you; I've made up my mind. What time does it start?"

She laughed, "Seven, but I would imagine that we should get there around 5:30."

"Okay, I'll be here a quarter after five then."

Bella rubbed her hands over her face, and she looked just as tired as I felt.

"Well, I better get going. It's late."

"Yeah, I guess I'll see you on Saturday then."

She showed me to the door and we said our goodbyes. I tried not to think about how much this was going to feel like a date. I mean, this wasn't a date... I was not taking Bella on a date, was I?

*********************************

I spent the next two days working, sleeping, getting Alice off my back about various topics, and convincing myself that this was not date. I wasn't very successful.

Bella and I are just friends. It wouldn't be fair of me to think of her in any other way. Not fair to Tanya and not fair to Bella. She was obviously still hung up on Mike, as anyone would be. She didn't need any more complications in her life. So I put all of those _other_ feelings on the back burner, for now.

I arrived at Bella's house right on time. I thought about bringing her flowers, but I thought that would have crossed the line. I climbed her now familiar stairs and knocked on the door. Again I heard her fumbling with the lock, and when she finally swung the door open, I had to choke back a laugh. She looked a mess. Her hair was half pinned on top of her head the rest was wildly sticking our everywhere and her face was red and blotchy. She was wearing a dirty white tank top with black pants that didn't seem to fit her at all.

"Is this a bad time?" I snickered at her.

"I know, sorry." She held to door open for me and then took off like a shot down the hallway; shouting something that sounded vaguely like, "Give me ten minutes!"

I doubted that. Tanya took at least two hours to get ready. Granted she needed to be "red carpet" ready, but it was still fucking annoying. I sighed and walked over to her couch. I had dressed up for this, even though I knew no one but Bella would see me. I had gone with a navy blue button down and black dress pants and shoes.

I sat down on her couch and leaned my head on the back of it. I closed my eyes and tried to not imagine Bella curled up next to me. She would be warm and soft, I'm sure. I would put my arm around her, and she would nuzzle her face against my chest. She would look up at me and smile, and I would bend my head towards hers… _enough, that's enough. _I tried to stop these thoughts but they just kept coming. I buried my head in my hands and willed them away. Luckily, I was brought out of this torture by a soft clicking noise coming from the hallway.

If I didn't know better I'd say they sounded like… heels? Bella never wore heels. I got up from the couch and turned to see an awe inspiring site. There was Bella. Her hair was down now and smooth. Half of it pulled back and there were little pieces falling down around her face. She had put on some make-up that made her eyes pop. She was wearing a deep purple top that revealed just a hint of cleavage. Her black trousers now sported a thin belt that held them in place and they now hugged her curves perfectly. And, she was wearing heels. Peep-toe heels.

_You are such a fucking goner._

No, I would stay my course; I would be fair, to her and to Tanya.

"Bella, you look fantastic," I told her breathlessly.

"Thank you. I normally don't dress like this, but preview is kind of a big deal so the coaches usually dress up."

"But, I thought no one was going to see you," I said panicking a little. I could not deal with 1,000 crazy people.

"They won't. I just… even though they won't see me, I still feel like I belong, you know? Like I should still act and dress the way I would if I were still head coach," she said looking down at her feet.

"Oh," was all I could manage.

"Come on, let's go before people start to show up," Bella said, heading for the door. I followed.

I drove to the high school in silence. Bella seemed nervous about something, but I wasn't going to ask. I was too busy trying to keep my focus on the fact that this wasn't a date.

We arrived at the high school, which mercifully was still dark. Bella lead the way as we walked down the deserted hallways. We came to the gym which was also dark. Bella opened a box on the wall and flipped some switches. The gym was illuminated by the florescent lights after a few moments, and then Bella and I made our way up the bleachers towards the press box. We still hadn't said anything to each other. I was getting more and more nervous with each step.

We climbed up into the box, and I saw a long table next to the window with microphones sitting on it. I moved to sit in one of the chairs.

"Oh no, umm, I sit up here," Bella pointed to a dusty old staircase in the back. It was cluttered with boxes of old newspapers and basketball playbooks.

She led the way, and we came to a door that was all rusted and dirty. She stuck a key in the lock and turned it. Before she opened the door she turned to me.

"Edward, I've never let anyone in this room before. Everyone thinks I sit down there where the announcers do, but I found this room and… well… It's like my haven. I'm still Bella Swan the ballerina in here."

"I understand," I told her.

She pushed the door open and let me go in first. I gasped quietly as I took in what was around me.

The wall I was facing was covered in framed pictures and medals pinned to the wall. I walked closer to look at them. The medals looked like they were from various dance competitions. Almost all of them were gold, a few sliver, and one lonely bronze down in one corner. Then I looked at the pictures. They were pictures of Bella…one of her dancing jazz, top hat and all; one of her and Jessica wearing matching dance costumes; one of her and Emmett ballroom dancing; one of her and Rosalie doing what looked to be the YMCA; one of her standing in the middle of her dancers, their arms around each other's shoulders and each with a silver medal around their neck; and many, many more. Each picture had a smiling Bella in it.

I heard the door close behind me, and I turned to tell Bella how amazing all of this was but suddenly I couldn't breathe. On the wall behind Bella there was a poster sized picture of her. It was a profile shot; she was dressed in a royal blue ballet costume. On her feet were matching blue Pointe toe shoes. Her hair was pinned back into an elegant bun. Her right leg was curled up behind her back as she supported all her weight on the toe of her left foot. Her arms were spread out like wings, and her face was turned upward toward the light which made her skin glow. And next to the poster, pinned to wall, were the same blue Pointe toe shoes.

After I took in the poster before me, I turned to look at her. Bella stood, leaning up against the door of this special room.

"I know it seems a little narcissistic. I told Emmett that I was going to throw everything away after…" she paused for a moment, "anyway, I just couldn't bring myself to do it, so I brought it all here."

"It's wonderful Bella, truly," she smiled at me and gestured for me to have a seat in one of the old folding chairs facing the window.

She and I sat and chatted about some of the pictures as we watched the people start to file into the gym. As the preview began, all the coaches and instructors got up and talked about their groups and what they had planned for the upcoming school year. The choir sang first; they were quite good. The band did a show stopping performance next. They were even better than the choir.

Finally the dance team came out and did their routine. They were, of course, amazing. Even Irina, who was donned in an all white ensemble, was flawless. Once she was finished, she asked all of the girls to come onto the dance floor again, and she asked for the microphone.

"Um, we have one more dance to do before we go. This one we came up with all on our own. And… well we'd like to dedicate it to someone very special too all of us. She couldn't be here tonight, but we still wanted to do this for her. So this one is for the woman who taught us the meaning of dance, who taught us to be ourselves and have a great time doing it. This one's for you, Bella Swan."

I couldn't be sure, but it looked liked Irina was looking up at Bella and I. I glanced over to Bella, and she was sitting back in her chair with her hand over her mouth. She looked over to me and put her hand down. She was smiling.

"They really love you, Bella," I told her.

"I know they do," she said quietly, as she propped her head up on her hands and stared down at the girls who were now dancing below. Bella was glowing through the whole thing. After they finished and bowed for the final time and made their way out of the gym, Bella looked over at me and bit her lip.

"What?" I asked her.

"I need to go talk to them. I can't just sit up here after what they did," she said shakily.

"Go," I told her firmly.

"Thank you," she said. "Just wait here until everyone is gone, and I'll meet you out back, okay?"

"Sure," I said.

I watched Bella run out the door and down the stairs. I could even make her out as she dashed through the crowd and out the gym doors.

As I sat waiting for the crowd to disperse, I thought about the upcoming week. I was going to be buried at work, trying to get everything finished. Then I realized that the National High School Dance Competition, which was going to be held in Indianapolis, was on the same day I was scheduled to fly home. A week from today. _Shit_. I would invite Bella out for a nice dinner on Thursday, and that would be it. That would most likely be the last time I would see her.

This fantasy I've begun entertaining in my head would go up in smoke. As it should.

I glanced up and saw that the gym was mostly empty. I got up and made my way down to the floor. I sneaked past the remaining people, and I went into the back hallway once again. There was no sign of Bella, so I started to peer around corners. I came to a hallway with several doors, some of which were open, and there was loud chatter coming from inside one of them. Just then, Bella walked out of one of the doors, facing me. She was glowing and I don't think I'd ever seen her look so beautiful. Emmett, Rosalie, and Irina followed her out, each with similar smiles of pride and love on their faces.

Bella and I started to walk towards each other as Emmett, Rosalie and Irina continued chatting in the doorway. Sarah and Henry were busy running around the adult's legs. Just as Bella and I were about to reach each other, a voice rang out from behind Bella.

"Bells?"

Bella stopped dead in her tracks, and then whirled around before I could analyze her expression. Emmett looked like he was going to punch the wall and started to walk toward the voice. Rosalie put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. At the end of the hallway, slowly making his way toward Bella was a shorter, well-built blonde man; then, Bella said it…

"Mike, what are you doing here?"

*****************************

_Uhoh! Is Bella still in love with Mike? Will she take him back? What on Earth is he doing here! Okay Okay... I sound like a lame TV annoucner... but they are __interesting questions huh?_

_I know what some of you are thinking… Delta! You spend the whole first half of the story convincing us that Edward is an unhappy actor… now he's trying to convince Bella that he's happy?! Wtf is that about?!_

_In my defense, Edward is kind of pigheaded. He doesn't want to admit to Bella that he's unhappy, because the truth is, when he's with her, he __**is **__happy. So it's un-nerving to him to have her notice that while he may be happy when he's with her, he's not with other aspects of his life, which is still very true._

_So I hope that heads off some questions about that!_

_Thanks to my beta, Val, the potato masher scene… all her. So thanks Val, for being hilarious and perverted, lol_

_Please stop by the forums! There's a thread for this story, I post teasers and other fun stuff over there! Plus, there are a lot of really great stories to check out!_

_And please, if you have a moment, leave a review. They make me happy and I try to answer any questions, should you have any!_

_See you again soon and thanks for reading!_

_~Delta_


	11. Beauty and the Beast

Just Like the Movies

Chapter 10

Beauty and the Beast

_At the end of the hallway slowly making his way towards Bella was a shorter, well built blonde man; then, Bella said it…_

"_Mike, what are you doing here?"_

Bella stood there frozen like a statue. Rosalie had both hands on Emmett's shoulders; his eyes were darting back and forth between Bella and Mike. Irina had taken Sarah and Henry back into the room from which they had just emerged. I was very close to Bella. If I wanted, I could reach out and touch her shoulder. I could feel something in the air, but I couldn't quite make out what it was.

"I came to see you Bells; preview is a big deal… right?" Mike asked.

I was waiting for it. Waiting for Bella to cry tears of happiness and run into his arms. This was someone she had invested a lot with, someone who she loved… someone who didn't deserve her. I was waiting.

"Yeah, I think you should leave," Bella said. I detected anger in her voice. I felt some glimmer of hope. At least she was angry with him for what he did to her, as she should be.

But, it wouldn't be long now. He would say it was a mistake, and she would forgive him. Then they'd ride off into the sunset together.

I felt a strange ache in my chest.

"Come on, Bella. Don't be like that. It's really good to see you," Mike said quietly.

"Leave," Bella told him firmly.

"You heard her, Newton," Emmett snarled.

"You stay the fuck out of this, Swan," Mike said. As he raised his hand to point at Emmett, Bella flinched, and she turned her head around to meet my eyes for just a moment. I had to hold back a gasp, she didn't look angry… she looked terrified. She quickly looked back at Emmett. He tensed; he saw the fear in her eyes too. And from the way his eyes narrowed at Bella, I could tell he didn't understand the emotion either. Then Bella turned her attention back to Mike, but she took a step backwards, pressing herself against me.

"No, Bells, don't go," Mike quickly tried to grab Bella by the wrist, but I was quicker and so was Emmett.

I grabbed Bella by the waist and whirled her around to put myself between her and Mike, but I didn't need too. Emmett grabbed him and slammed him against the brick wall. Bella pushed free of my grip and took off running down the hallway.

"Go after her!" Rosalie yelled to me, trying to get Emmett off Mike.

I didn't need to be told twice. I ran after her. She sprinted down the hallways and through a door that led outside. Once outside she stopped. I stood in the doorway; I didn't want to startle her. She had turned to the side and was bent over with her hands on her knees. She was breathing really hard. I had thought at first that it was from running, but it wasn't getting better. Soon Bella was gasping for breath. She put her hand over mouth as she started to cough. I could see her knees start to shake. She was hyperventilating.

I ran over to her and put an arm around her shoulder. She started to fall backwards, so I took a few steps back until I was leaning against the wall. I had one hand around her waist and other reaching across her just under her throat, parallel with her collarbone, holding her tight to my chest. Then she started sobbing, heart wrenching, gasping sobs.

I couldn't stand anymore.

I felt my knees give out as I sank to the ground with Bella in my arms.

"Shh, Bella, it's all right," I said softly.

Her sobs started to quiet, so I continued to try and soothe her.

"I understand. Do you know how brave you are? I can't imagine how hard it was to leave him like that. But, he needs to work for your forgiveness. I'm sure you must miss him…"

Bella stopped crying at once, and her small hands reached up and roughly tugged my arms away from her. She turned around to face me, while her tear tracts were still visible, her eyes were narrowed, and she looked angry.

"You really believe that? That I miss him," she spat at me.

I opened my mouth to answer, but she beat me too it.

"Of course you do," she said a little calmer. "Why wouldn't you," she muttered, looking at the ground.

"Bella, what are you talking about? Wasn't that your ex-fiancé?"

"Yes," she sneered.

"Well then wha…" She cut me off again.

"I made you a promise Edward. I promised to tell you everything," she said quietly, "and I haven't." She looked up at me, her eyes full of sadness.

"I was scared and stupid. I should have just told you, but I couldn't I… I… just couldn't… no one knows…"

"Tell me what Bella?" I asked in a whisper.

"It was so much easier letting you believe Emmett. Everyone believes Emmett, as they should. Cause he's only retelling what he heard from me."

"Is what Emmett told me about…. about you and Mike…. not…. true?"

It was quiet for several moments until Bella spoke so softly I could barely make it out, "No."

I leaned back against the wall and stared at her. She sat on the sidewalk hugging her knees to her chest. She took a deep breath then began.

"I met Mike about 3 years ago. I had just finished college, and I had just joined my first troupe outside of a school. That's where I met Jessica; she was in the same troupe. Mike was a friend of hers from high school, and she invited him out for drinks with us one evening."

"Of course I thought he was handsome, but guys never noticed me. I had no reason to think he would. But, he did. It went back and forth for a year…shameless flirting and what not. He even helped me get my own troupe started. That was the summer we started dating. And, things were great."

"I should have known. The moment he proposed, I should have known. I'm not a 'normal girl', Edward. I don't really care what my hair looks like; I really could live without make-up. I can't imagine I'll ever worry about my age. And, I don't really dream about my wedding. Sure, I'd like to have one, but I could care less about the details. But, there was one thing I dreamed about, being proposed to. I told Mike about that once we started getting serious. So he knew… he knew what I wanted. I wanted it to happen outside, in the snow, at night. I love the snow. It would be so peaceful and quiet," she smiled dreamily, but then got a very sour look on her face.

"He proposed in a crowded restaurant, in April, during a monsoon. But, I loved him, so I shrugged it off. So what if it was the only 'girl' dream I had. I was getting married. I should be happy… and I was for a while."

"We moved in together after that. And slowly things started to change. He stopped telling me that he loved me. He wouldn't help with the dishes, or anything else around the house. Nothing major… just little things like that. It made me uncomfortable. It was like… he had been trying to impress me throughout our entire courtship, and now that he had me forever… he stopped trying."

"One day though, he did tell me that he loved me. He was leaving to go to work, and he said, 'Bye Bells, love you.'… and I couldn't say it back. He didn't notice; he just went to work as always. But that entire day, I thought about it. It was the first time in weeks that he had told me, and I just couldn't say it back. I didn't love him anymore. And damn it, it felt good to admit. But, I was a coward; I still am. I couldn't bring myself to end it. I was terrified of being alone. I kept getting these visions of me, old and alone in a ratty apartment with 20 cats. So I stayed, and not a day goes by that I don't regret that decision."

"Because even though I was too afraid to leave physically, I still found a way to leave him. I threw myself into the dance team and my own troupe. I wasn't home much. But, neither was he. We were both just existing, but I kept telling myself that it was going to get better…that one day I was going to wake up and love him again. But it never happened. I didn't tell Emmett what was going on. He thought we were happy."

She stopped for a moment. Her eyes were distant, remembering something. She winced and closed her eyes. Then silent tears started streaming down her face as she continued, "Last November, I came home late from practice one evening to find Mike completely hammered. He got up from his chair, and I could smell the liquor on his breath. He shouted at me and said that I was cheating on him. I tried telling him that I wasn't, but he just kept yelling. Finally he got to the root of the problem… he told me that I was spending too much time at the high school, and that I needed to choose. It was either the dance team or him. I've never had an answer come to me so easily in my life. I told him that I choose the dance team."

"I thought he was just going to storm out… he looked away from me… then he turned around and slapped me across the face. He hit me so hard that I fell to the floor. He kicked me in the stomach, cracking my ribs in the process. He then proceeded to grab my left wrist and twist it. He ripped the engagement ring off my hand, and then swung me around by my wrist and knocked my head against a coffee table."

"He walked toward the door, and just before he left, he said, 'You're not worth it anyway.' He left the door open, and I was able to crawl out to my front step; that's where my neighbors found me. They took me to the hospital," she said through quiet sobs.

"Emmett doesn't know," I stated quietly.

"No," she admitted softly, "He can't know. I've never told anyone before. When Emmett came to see me in the hospital, he asked me what happened… I told him that I fell down the stairs running after Mike. Everyone would believe that. Poor little, lonely Bella, desperately chasing after her man," she sneered. "And they did. No one had any reason to believe Mike was truly responsible for what happened to me. That's why I can't believe Mike showed up here. I never heard a word from him after… and I just figured he'd stay away from me. I thought he'd be too afraid that I might go to the police if he didn't keep his distance."

"You didn't tell the police either?!" I nearly shouted.

"I couldn't… then Emmett would have found out."

"Bella, you need to tell the police," I pleaded with her.

"Damn it, no! What he did to me was horrible, but I will not ruin his life!"

"He ruined yours! What about you!"

"Not everything in this world is about revenge, Edward. I'm trying to find peace with the life I have now. It's been difficult, but I have faith that things will get better eventually…"

"Bella…"

"No, this isn't why I told you, Edward. I don't want a lecture about what I should do. I've already done it. There is no going back. He hasn't bothered me before today, and after what Emmett did, I doubt he'll try it again."

"You don't know that Bella!" I yelled at her.

She looked up at me, and I stared into her beautiful, sad eyes. Even in that moment I could see the stubbornness in her eyes. I could never win this argument. Going to the police was her choice no matter what I said, but Emmett was another matter.

"Fine, I accept that you won't go to the police, even though I think it's the wrong choice, but you at least need to tell Emmett," I told her firmly.

"I can't… he'll never forgive me for lying to him about it," she cried softly.

"Oh, Bella, is that what you're worried about? He loves you. You're his sister."

"I know… I know, I owe him so much. I'm just… not ready. I can't tell him."

"You could tell me… I'm practically a stranger to you Bella," I admitted softly.

"No, you're not," she whispered. "I trust you, Edward. And I know you're right. I should tell him. Just not now, I need time… it's time for some changes in my life. I just need time to figure out what those changes will be… I need to prove to myself that I am worth it."

I reached out and took her hands in mine. I wanted to tell her, to scream at her, that she was worth it, and that a drunken comment from that asshole shouldn't have the power to define her so. The words were on the tip of my tongue… _You're worth it, Bella._

"Let's get you home, okay?"

She nodded as I helped her up off the ground. We walked back into the school. Emmett was sitting on the floor. I could hear the kids running around and carrying on in the room. Once Emmett saw us, he jumped up and ran toward Bella, and scooped her up into a hug. "I'll call you tomorrow, okay? Go home and sleep," he ordered.

"Okay, Em thanks," she said with the best smile she could muster.

"Are you okay to get home?"

"Yeah, Edward drove. I'll be okay," she kissed him on the cheek and started walking down the hall. I moved to pass Emmett, but he grabbed me by the shoulder and whispered in my ear.

"Thank you,"

I nodded and kept walking. Bella noticed nothing.

**************************

I walked Bella to her door, and I think she expected me to say goodbye. But there was no way in hell I was leaving her alone. That creep could show up, and even thought he didn't say it, I knew Emmett was counting on me to take care of her.

"Bella, I really don't feel comfortable leaving you by yourself," I told her.

"I'm a big girl, Edward. I'll be okay."

"Yeah, but I won't. Please? I'll sleep on the couch; I just… don't want you to be alone."

She stared at me for a moment, and she finally nodded and opened the door. We walked inside and Bella stopped to place her keys on an end table. I walked up behind her.

"You should get some sleep," I whispered in her ear.

"I'm not tired. Do you want some cocoa or something," she asked quickly.

"Bella, you don't have to…"

She didn't listen as she walked right into the kitchen. I could hear her moving dishes around and water running. I sighed and walked over to her shelf of DVDs. As I started to read the titles, I noticed a lot of old epic movies, like Star Wars, mixed in with just about every animated Disney movie known to man.

"Do you want to watch a movie?" I called to her. "Something happy? Maybe something animated and Disneyfied?" I asked trying not to laugh at all her kid movies.

She walked back in carrying two mugs, and of course she picked up on what I was thinking, "Sure, and don't make fun of me. I have lots of cartoons because of Sarah and Henry," she told me defensively.

I took my mug from her and grabbed the first animated movie I saw, "Beauty and the Beast, how 'bout it?" I smiled at her.

"That's my favorite one," she attempted to smile back.

We settled on the couch as the movie began to play. She was sitting in the middle of the couch, and I was off to the side. We drank our cocoa in silence as the lonely dreamer sang her song.

When the heroine traded her freedom for that of her father's, I heard Bella start to cry. I looked over at her, and her head was down as she tried to swallow back the sobs. I sat my mug down and took hers from her hands.

I put my arm around her, and she buried her face in my chest. I stroked her hair as she cried softly. Soon, her cries quieted, and I looked down to see that she was fast asleep. _Shit._ I didn't want to wake her up so taking her to her bedroom was out. I couldn't just leave her on the couch while I slept in her bed, nor would I leave her on the couch and just go back to my hotel.

Okay, so maybe I was making up excuses, but no matter. I kicked my shoes off and twisted my legs up onto the couch. I laid us down softly, keeping Bella cradled to my chest. I grabbed the blanket off the back of the couch and draped it over us. I continued stroking her hair until I too was fast asleep.

*********************

I awoke the next morning to sounds coming from the kitchen. I sat up to see the blanket draped over only me now. I called out, "Bella?"

She walked in from the kitchen, still dressed in the clothes she was wearing last night.

"Morning," she said.

"How long have you been awake?" I asked her.

"Not long. I just thought I make us some coffee. I'm sure you have to go to work, right?"

"Yeah, not for an hour or so," I said glancing at my watch.

"Thank you, Edward," she said softly.

Before I could respond there was a knock at the door. My eyes flashed from the door back to Bella who looked just as shocked as I felt. I moved to get up to answer it, but Bella put a hand up to stop me.

"Let me just see who it is before you jump to any conclusions," she said, rolling her eyes at me as she passed.

She looked through the peep hole and turned to me with a confused look on her face.

"Who is it," I whispered.

She shrugged and asked, "Who is it?" through the door.

"Hi, is this the home of Bella Swan," a man's voice asked.

"Who is asking?" Bella said irritated.

"I'm Chuck from StarStalker Magazine."

My jaw hit the floor.

"We have reason to believe that you are romantically involved with Edward Cullen. We've even had a tip that he stayed here with you last night. We are prepared to offer you an… incentive if you could confirm or deny any of this. Or even let us inside for a few exclusive photos."

Pissed did not even being to describe what I was feeling. Yet again, before I could react Bella threw her hand out behind her with her palm out telling me to stay put.

"Who?" Bella asked, sounding confused.

"Edward. Cullen. The actor. Come on honey, don't be like this." A white envelope appeared under the door. "I promise we'll make it worth your while. From the looks of this apartment, you could use a few extra bucks, yeah?"

Bella stared at the envelope on the floor. I knew it must contain an outrageous sum of money that Bella could certainly use. I wouldn't blame her for opening the door. Bella slowly reached down towards the envelope. She should take the money; she deserved that money and much more. Even if it her taking it would break my heart.

She slid the envelope back underneath the door.

"Listen asshole, no one is here," she spat.

"Whose car is out front?"

"My brother's! Jesus, could you be any more fucking nosy! Why don't you find something better to do with your time than follow people around? I'm sure this Edmund person would like it very much if you left him alone! Now get the hell off my porch, or I'm calling the police, capisce?"

She stayed at the door for a moment, with her ear pressed up against it to listen for them to leave. Once they did, she turned around and pressed her back up against the door.

"I'm so sorry, Edward," she said desperately.

"Are you kidding me? Bella, that was fucking brilliant!"

"I just… I don't know how they found you… I… hope that you don't think I…"

I jumped off the couch and ran over to her. I gently took her hands in mine.

"Bella, I trust you. I know you wouldn't do something like that, and neither would your family. I'm sure someone must have seen me last night. It's no big deal; shit like that happens all the time. Please, don't be upset. I'm not, okay?"

She nodded.

"Bella… why didn't you take the money?" I asked hesitantly. Suddenly remembering the last time we discussed money.

"Don't you think you're more important to me than a few dollars?"

"It would have been more than a few dollars, Bella. Most likely around ten… thousand."

"Like I said….you think that means anything to me?" Her brown eyes staring up at me, totally serious.

I found myself leaning towards her. It would have been so easy. Just one movement, one small motion, to bring my lips down upon hers. I wanted to so badly… so badly. It would be perfect. This moment. At least it would have been had my mind been able to ignore Tanya. I _knew_ Bella cared for me in a way that Tanya did not. Even though she had only been a part of my life for a short time… it didn't matter. I wanted nothing more than to be with her. _But she won't be a part of your life next week._ My stomach twisted into a million knots at the thought. But, I knew that was true. I knew what I needed to do now.

I squeezed her hands, "How 'bout that coffee?"

"Sure," she released my hands, and we walked into the kitchen together.

We sat in the kitchen and made plans for the following week. I was going to bring dinner to Bella. I would take her out, but she didn't need all of that drama. I made her promise to dress up even. Just like she would have if we would have gone out together. The last thing I wanted to do was leave to go to work, but sadly, I couldn't miss anymore. We were going to be lucky to finish on time.

I would enjoy my last evening with Bella. I would savor it. She would always hold a special place in my heart. And that would have to be enough.

*********************************

_Wow… that was a hard one to get through. Let me tell you. There it is folks the REAL TRUTH as to what happened to Bella. Bella doesn't love Mike, she doesn't want him back (duh) she was out of love with him long before the incident._

_And Edward is getting ready to go home. Any theories on what's going to happen during their last dinner? The next chapter will be the last one *sob* I may do an epilogue… if people want one… I don't know that they will…._

_Thanks to my beta Val, whom I unintentionally offended when I describe Star Wars as old, lol, love you Val!_

_Please stop by twilighted (dot) net. And check out their forums! There's a thread for this story, I post teasers and other fun stuff over there! Plus, there are a lot of really great stories to check out!_

_And please, if you have a moment, leave a review. They make me happy and I try to answer any questions, should you have any!_

_See you again soon and thanks for reading!_

_~Delta_


	12. Good Night and Good Luck

_Please read the author's note at the end of the chapter!!_

Just Like the Movies

Chapter 11

Good Night, and Good Luck

I decided Wednesday night that I was going to pack. I needed to get my mind off of everything. Packing was a good, mindless task. The last thing I wanted to think about was Bella.

Tomorrow, I was going over to her apartment. Tomorrow would be last time I would see her. And I would make sure of that. I couldn't put myself through this anymore. My chest ached whenever I looked at her. It ached because I couldn't be with her. My life was in Hollywood. My life was with Tanya. My life would always be dodging paparazzi and never being able to be normal. Bella didn't need to be dragged into that mess. I wanted her to be happy.

Alice brought me out of my thoughts.

"Helloooo! Earth to Edward," she said, waving her hand in front of my face.

I grunted to let her know I was listening.

"Where were you just now?"

"I don't know Alice; I just have a lot on my mind," I said as I attempted to fold a pair of pants. She took them from me.

"Let me. You'll wrinkle them. Is this about Bella?"

"How do you always fucking know?" I asked, irritated.

"Please," she rolled her eyes at me. "Now, what's going on with you two? Did you have another fight," she asked as she continued to go through my clothes and fold them for me. I sat with my head in my hands on the bed.

"No, I'm just… going to miss her when we go home, that's all."

"Well, you'll come back to see her! It's not like you can't afford it," she snickered.

"No, I won't."

She dropped whatever it was she was holding. "What? You're not going to come back?"

"No and neither are you," I told her.

"Fuck you, Edward! I can do what I want! I don't want to see just Bella anyway! Rosalie and her freaking adorable children are my friends now too! You cannot dictate my life!"

"Listen Alice, Bella doesn't need to deal with all this, our lives. She deserves a normal, happy existence, without me."

"And you think that's what she would want?"

"What else could she ask for?"

"Oh, I don't know… you, perhaps?"

"Alice, be serious. I have a…"

"Don't you DARE use Tanya as an excuse, Edward," she screeched at me. "You would be with Bella in a heartbeat, and you know it!"

I shook my head at her. I couldn't think like that anymore.

"You listen to me, Edward Cullen. I have no idea what you're going to do with Tanya, and frankly, I don't care. But don't cut Bella out of your life, I'm begging you. You don't want that. I know it. You want to be with her. At least give her a choice," she pleaded with me.

"Alice, there's nothing left for me to do. I just want to enjoy my last day with her. So please, drop it."

She looked at me, and I could see the debate raging in her eyes. "You know I'll always love you, Edward. But, I've never been more disappointed with you than I am right now." With that, she turned and walked out of my hotel room.

******************************

I found the most expensive restaurant in town that would do carry out. I even tipped extra for someone to bring it out to my car. I was getting very good at staying hidden… even if it was a bit creepy. I hadn't thought much about what Alice had told me. Regardless, I was still with Tanya, and until that changed, I couldn't do anything about Bella.

I arrived at Bella's a little after nine. Bella saw me coming and had the door open for me, since I was carrying two large bags of food. As she relived me of some of my parcels, I took note of what she was wearing. She had lived up to her promise and dressed up for this occasion. She had on a deep navy blue dress. It had simple, puffy sleeves, and a very elegant neckline. The dress fell to her knees where it flared out slightly. I also noticed her shoes, heels again, but this time very sensible black. Her hair was pulled back into a pony tail so I could see all of her neck and shoulders. I couldn't help but imagine her dancing. It seemed like it would have been natural for her. Because just standing here helping me juggle the outrageous amount of food I bought, I had never seen anyone look so graceful.

As she lead me through to the kitchen, I noticed that the dining room was all done up as well. She had a white runner down the center of the table atop a midnight blue tablecloth, and the table was set with fine china. I noticed there were no candles… and I was a little surprised by that… _why did I expect candles?_

After the food was dished out and the wine poured, we sat down across from each other and began to enjoy our meal. For the first time, things felt… awkward between us. There was this… energy in the air. It made it hard to breathe. Finally it seemed Bella couldn't take the silence anymore.

"So, when are you going home?"

"Saturday," I said as pleasantly as I could.

"Oh, that's the day of Nationals," Bella said playing with her fork.

"Yeah."

"I'm going, you know?"

A genuine smile spread across my face. "What?"

She returned it without hesitation." Yeah, umm I talked with Jessica, and I'm going to go. I can't miss this; they really have a shot to win it this year. I'm even going to be with them on the floor when they perform, just like I used to be."

"That's great, Bella, really," I told her. "I wish I could be there."

"Yeah, me too. I understand though… why you can't. So don't worry about it, okay?"

"Okay, boss," I laughed. She laughed with me

"I'm going… because of you."

I sat back in my chair, and I must have looked confused because she continued without any more prompting.

"Edward, you helped me to realize that it's time for me to… let go. What happened to me was awful. But, it doesn't mean that my life is over. There are still so many things I can do to help those girls, and even though it may hurt for a while, I'm willing to give it a shot."

"I helped you to realize all that?"

"Not in so many words… just by giving me someone to talk to… I haven't been able to talk… I mean _really_ talk…. to anyone in months. And I know things won't happen overnight, but… I can see the end of the tunnel, you know?"

"Yeah, I know what you mean," I said quietly. Trying not to let her know how proud I was of her. And how happy it made me that I had such an impact on her.

"Will I ever see you again?"

"Maybe. If I come back to Chicago, I'll be sure to look you up."

Her smile fell just a little, "Okay, well I'll look forward to that, then."

I could do this. I could say goodbye to her. I had too; I had no place in her life. I had no business asking something like that of her. Besides, I was determined to stay faithful to Tanya. I could not sacrifice her happiness so that I could have my own.

We finished our dinner, and I helped Bella wash the dishes. She talked about how they had belonged to her grandmother, and she only used them for very special occasions. Yeah, that shit wasn't helping me any. I wanted to stay right there next to her and listen to all of her stories. I wanted to tell her all of mine too. But it wasn't meant to be. She and I weren't meant to be.

As I walked to the door, I was extremely aware that this would be the last time I saw Bella. I struggled with my thoughts. If I told her how much she really meant to me, I could give her false hope that I would be coming back. No, I couldn't _say_ anything. When I reached the door, I turned around and pulled Bella into a hug. Her small arms wrapped around my waist, and I held her tight against my chest. I buried my face into her hair and breathed in her scent, committing it to memory.

"Goodbye, Bella."

She pulled away from me, but still kept her arms around me. I looked into her beautiful brown eyes. She was memorizing my face. And I was doing the same to her. She knew… she knew that this would be the last time we were going to see each other.

"Goodbye, Edward… thank you," she whispered.

With that, I turned and walked out the door. I didn't hear Bella shut the door behind me. I felt her eyes on me as I got into my car, but I couldn't meet them. This had to end now. I had said goodbye. Another look at her face… and I wouldn't be able to leave. I started my car and sped away.

************************

Saturday morning, the bellhop came to take my luggage to the car. I barely acknowledged him. I was watching TV, or rather I was flipping through the channels pretending to watch TV. Around noon, I figured I should eat something. I usually would have called Alice, but she had already left. She had an audition to get to in New York. Not me, I was going back to Los Angeles. Back to my mundane life, never leaving my apartment unless I absolutely had to.

I called room service and ordered the first thing I saw on the menu.

I waited as patiently as I could, but I was really hungry… I hadn't eaten… since my dinner with…

There was a knock at the door.

_Finally._

I got up from the bed and made my way to the door. When I opened it, I found something I was not expecting.

"Tanya?"

"Baby! Oh, I'm so happy to see you," she squealed.

"What are you doing here? I'm supposed to be on a plane home in…6 hours!"

"I… I wanted to see you!"

"That's horseshit, Tanya! What a waste of money! I was going to come see you tonight!"

"I didn't want to wait anymore," she cried.

"You're fucking spoiled," I sneered at her.

"I paid for it myself, Edward. You're not the boss of me! I wanted to come and see you, so I did!"

"You're unbelievable," I said shaking my head.

"I know," she smiled, misinterpreting what I meant. "Come on, take me out to lunch! I've missed you!" She latched onto my arm and dragged me down the hallway to the elevator.

We went to the same restaurant Alice and I had been to before. They were very happy to see me again. Tanya and I didn't say much as we ate. But, it wasn't a comfortable silence; it was awkward. Because I didn't have conversation to distract me, my mind went down the same path it had been going since Thursday – _I__ miss Bella_. I finally had to end the silence with a legitimate question, trying to keep things friendly.

"Where's Kate? Is everything okay with the baby?"

"I don't know. I fired her."

"What!? When!?" I asked in disbelief.

"Uhh, last month, I think," she said nonchalantly.

"What happened? She didn't… do anything wrong did she?" I asked tentatively.

"No, she was just getting too fat. I can't have a fat assistant."

I stared at her for a moment until it dawned on me that she wasn't kidding. "You're serious?"

"Uhh, yeah! You should have seen her Edward; her stomach was all… huge… and gross. And she had to pee like every five seconds, it was awful!"

"Tanya, she needed that job!"

"She'll find another one. It's not my problem," she said, taking a sip of her vodka tonic.

I looked at this woman sitting before me. She was beautiful. No one could deny that. And deep down, I truly believed that she was a good person, but she was not the person for me. Suddenly, it didn't matter; people broke up all the time. It wasn't a tragedy, especially if it was the right thing to do.

This was the right thing to do.

"Tanya, I don't think we should see each other anymore," I said… finally.

Her head snapped up, and she met my eyes. "What? Are you nuts?! You don't want to break up with me. Have something to drink… and I don't mean another iced tea…" she laughed to herself.

"I'm serious, Tanya. It's over. I can't be with someone who thinks only of themselves," I spat at her.

She folded her arms over her chest and her chin came up in defiance. "Is it this girl? This girl you've been following around like a lost puppy?"

"How do you know about Bella?" I squeaked.

"It's been all over the news. No one has been able to get a picture of her yet. They haven't released her name either. But they say you're fucking her. Is that true?"

Son of a Bitch. I can't believe I let this happen to Bella. I knew I would have to call her and apologize; that thought put a lump in my throat. But what hurt almost as much was that Tanya believed the rumors.

"Of course not, Tanya. You know I wouldn't do that to you," I said as calmly as I could muster.

"Whatever. It is this chick, I know it! She's brainwashed you!"

"No Tanya, she didn't do anything. You did this all by yourself. I was coming back to you. I was going to do what was right. Right for you… but not for me. Oh yeah, this is over," I said getting up from my chair.

"I knew better than to trust you, Edward. You've been shacking up with her since you met her. God only knows why. She so doesn't deserve someone like you!"

"How dare you speak about Bella like that! You don't even know her! She's not some one night stand, Tanya! She is the kindest, most sincere, most… determined person I've ever met."

"You sound like you're in love with her," she scoffed.

One second of hesitation was all it took.

"YOU ARE!" Tanya accused. "I can't believe this." And then she started laughing hysterically. "Oh this is good, well you just go on ahead Edward, I won't stop you. And when she sucks you dry, don't come crying back to me cause I won't be there!"

"You see, Tanya, that's just the thing. She would never do anything to hurt me. She's spent the last two months bringing me back to life. If you loved me, you'd fight. You wouldn't threaten me. You wouldn't just let me walk away…"

And that's what I did; I had let Bella walk away. More than once, I wasn't going to let that happen anymore. Funny, how it took my girlfriend to point out the fact that I was in love with another woman.

Holy shit, I was in love with Bella.

"I have to go," I told Tanya curtly.

"Yeah, whatever, nice knowing you, Eddie." She was already on her cell phone as I threw some money on the table, about $50 more than was needed, and then I headed for the door. As I was walking away, I heard Tanya. "Hey Felix," she purred. "You wanna hang out tonight?"

Good riddance.

********************************

I was flying down the interstate. I checked the flights from O'Hare to Indianapolis, and I would have had to wait three hours for a flight. That shit wasn't happening. It was already almost 4pm. The awards ceremony started at 7pm. And damn it, I was going to make it.

Driving gave me time to think. I wanted Bella. I wanted her forever. But, it wouldn't mean shit if she didn't feel the same way. That didn't matter of course, I still had to tell her…and I had to tell her now. I couldn't spend the rest of my life wondering what might have been. I shuddered to think that I had almost followed that exact path. But in the end, this would all be up to her. Bella shouldn't have to deal with my shit or my life. But Alice was right, she _should_ have a choice. And damn it I was going to give her one.

Bella showed me that there are good people. Her family was a prime example of that. She even helped me realize that Alice was also a true friend and a good person; something that I should have known all along. But, I was too wrapped up in hating everything to notice.

Bella was what was missing from my life. And I don't mean that in a totally cliché way. It was all the things that Bella brought to me…warmth, compassion, and trust. All those things had been missing and she gave them to me without a second thought. Oh yes, I loved her, and what's worse, I think I've known for a long time.

I thought back to the first time I saw Bella, and how I wouldn't have even noticed her had she not spoken to that girl. I became furious with myself just thinking about it. But fate, it seems, had other plans for us. And I thanked God for that.

I pulled into the convention center at 7:15pm, naturally. The ceremony surely had already started. It may already be over. I didn't care. I got out of my car and ran inside. There were people out front and inside the lobby, because it was too crowded to actually get into the main room. I tried to carefully move past them. And of course, it wasn't long before people started recognizing me.

"That was Edward Cullen!"

"Holy Shit!"

"Oh my god he's gorgeous."

"I wonder why he's here."

I ignored all of them, and I was finally able to make it into the main room. I saw all the dance teams still standing on the floor. And right in the middle, I saw Irina, standing in front of all the girls dressed all in white. And in a small group off to the side of the girls, I saw Jessica and my Bella. From the looks of it, the awards ceremony hadn't started yet.

I made my way down the stands and was met by a security guard before I could make my way onto the floor.

"Please, I have to see Bella Swan, right now. It's urgent!"

He didn't hear a word I said. "Hey! Aren't you that kid who plays in those action movies?"

I groaned, "Yes, now can I please go see Ms. Swan?"

"Sure, sure! Anything for you!" He smiled as he let me pass.

I ran onto the floor, and it suddenly occurred to me… I had no idea what I was going to say to her. Her back was turned, and she was talking to Jessica. Jessica saw me running toward Bella, and she pointed at me. Bella turned around and met my eyes. A smile crept over her face slowly as she started to walk toward me.

When I finally reached her, I stood for moment, trying to catch my breath.

"Edward," she finally asked.

"I broke up with Tanya," I blurted out. "I don't love her. I never did. She didn't make me happy. I should have ended it a long time ago…but I didn't want to be alone," I said, echoing the same feelings she had had while she was with Mike. "But, I was alone anyway, and it's time that I changed that."

Her eyes widened and then subtly changed. She looked… confused.

"Did you drive all the way out here to tell me that?"

"No," I said shaking my head.

"Well then… spit it out," she said, trying to be mean to me, as usual. But her voice was shaking and her eyes were red.

I put my hands on her face, "I love _you_, Bella. _You _make me happy. And I want nothing else than to be with you."

"Jesus, Edward," she cried softly as tears started pouring down her face. "You can't just show up here, say that you dumped your girlfriend, and expect me to swoon!"

"What should I do then?" I pleaded with her.

"Well, obviously you need to kiss me, before I can swoon and tell you that I love you, too."

We were both laughing as our lips came together. My hands left her face and circled around her back as her hand wound around my neck. Our lips moved together as we clutched each other closer. It was complete bliss.

By the time we broke apart, I became slightly aware of cheers erupting around us. Bella kept her face close to mine as she whispered, "I love you, too," just as she had promised.

A million questions started running through my mind. Did we know what we were getting into? Where would we live? When should I take her to meet mom? Soon, of course. Alice is going to be thrilled. Scratch that, she's going to explode. What about Emmett? What was he going to say about all this? Should I get Sarah and Henry books or video games for Christmas?

Christ, I needed to stop thinking so much.

We had a lifetime to figure out all the problems. And we could do it, as long as we had each other. But, I had to ask…

"Bella, are you sure this is what you want? I mean, it can be an ordeal, dealing with all of this." I gestured to the screaming girls in the stands, being kept at bay by security guards, and the high school dancers on the floor, being kept at bay by Bella's girls.

"Edward, I can handle anything," she said with mischief gleaming in her eyes.

"That's what she said," we uttered at the same time.

Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. I picked Bella up and spun her around. She had her arms wrapped tightly around my neck, and she kissed me again. The crowd was applauding and now, slowly rising to their feet. It was perfect.

Just like the movies.

*********************

_Yay!!_

_And OF COURSE i'm going to to an epilogue... it's already written and with my beta. I just needed to do the fake out (will she write one?!?!) to keep the ending a mystery. ;)_

_I'll do my long sappy author's note next time._

_Thanks to Val, she knows she's cool._

_Please leave a review, I'd love to know how you liked the ending. It was really cheesy I know, but it was supposed to end like a movie! Hence the whole movies theme (lol)._

_In case you didn't notice.. all the chapter titles have been movies... I think i've only gotten once review saying something about that. Meh, I thought I was clever ;)_

_I'm sure we'll still be playing on the thread too, some come and hang out with us there! It's over at twilighted (dot) net_

_Much Love,_

_~Delta._


	13. From Here to Eternity

Just Like the Movies

Epilogue

From Here to Eternity

_1 year later_

"I cannot believe you're making me do this," Bella groaned.

"Hey, you said you wanted to go," I retorted.

"Yeah, after you asked me and used your magical movie star hypnotic powers," she accused.

She turned her face away from me, pouting like a little kid. Her hands were clasped together tightly on her lap, and her leg was bouncing up and down. I placed my hand on her knee to stop her from wearing a hole through the floor.

She unclasped her hands and placed one over mine and squeezed. She finally turned and smiled at me. I laced my fingers with hers and brought her hand up to my lips. I placed a small kiss on the back of her hand.

"You'll be fine. Stop worrying," I soothed.

"HA!"

I chuckled.

"Don't laugh at me," she whined.

"You know, Bella, I tried to warn you when you agreed to be my girlfriend, but like always, you _never listen_!"

"Screw you!"

"Is that an offer?" I winked at her.

She glared daggers at me, before turning her head away from me again.

I leaned over and brushed my lips up against her ear. "You don't have to go if you don't want to. I'll have him turn around right now," I said, gesturing to the driver, completely serious.

She turned back toward me again, "No, I want to go. I'm just nervous."

"Do you trust me?"

"Yes."

"I'll take care of you, so please stop worrying. You look beautiful, by the way."

She closed the gap between us and pressed her lips gently against mine. I kissed her softly for a moment until she pulled away with and amused glare on her face.

"What?"

"Magical movie star hypnosis."

"We're here, Mr. Cullen," the driver said to us as the car came to a stop.

Bella took a deep breath as I opened the door. I was met with flashing cameras and people shouting. The summer sun was in full force, and I was certainly glad for my sunglasses. I turned back toward the car and held my hand out for Bella to take. First her silver heels gracefully stepped on the red carpet. Then her long, pale legs became visible. Her emerald green dress was flowing all around her. And she finally stood up, revealing her exquisite face and long, brown hair, currently curled and swept back out of her face. She refused to wear sunglasses… something about "matchy matchy." I don't fucking know. Girls are weird.

She laced her arm through mine as I led her down the red carpet toward the theatre.

It was the premiere of the superhero flick that Alice and I shot last summer. The summer I met my Bella.

It was slated to make quite a bit of money. And for once, I was looking forward to the check I'd get. I was hoping to get enough so that I could quit acting all together. I had already signed up for some online courses in graphic design. It was all Bella's idea. She had been fidgeting with a new logo for the dance team last December, and I got annoyed and starting picking on her, like always. She challenged me to do better, and as it turns out, I have a knack for it. She had me do a couple more drawings for various local businesses, and a lot of people liked them. If everything goes as planned, once I finish school, I'll be able to open my own business right in Chicago.

My favorite design was the one I did for Roger's. After I met with Janetta and Paul about the new logo, I made a public appearance there in the dead of winter. Over 500 people showed up to that little diner in one evening. Bella and I helped serve the food and take orders. It was a blast. After that, business picked up for Paul and Janetta. They had to hire a bunch of new people, and they are constantly busy. Bella and I still go see them once a week when we're in Chicago, and they're always happy to see us. It's funny, when Janetta sees us walk in, she turns right to the kitchen to grab an iced tea and water, and Paul gets started on two cheeseburgers. They are truly wonderful people.

Bella and I are staying in L.A. for the next month after the premiere. We're staying at some fancy hotel. I gave up my apartment in L.A. about a month after Bella and I got together. I knew I wasn't going back there anytime soon, so I didn't see any reason to keep it. I plan on taking her everywhere while we're here. The beach; up to Napa for a weekend to see the vineyards; maybe Vegas on an impulse, whatever she wants. I begged Bella for weeks to let me freaking pay for the whole trip. She needed a break after Nationals…at which, Blue Island High School took home a gold medal, just like they did last year.

Bella had taken up coaching again. Jessica is still the head, but we expect that to change next year… once Bella finishes physical therapy, which she is scheduled to start after our vacation is over. The doctors don't think she'll ever regain full function of it. They'd also said she'll almost always have some level of pain, but if she's careful, coaching shouldn't be a problem. And she missed her girls. It took me a long time to get Bella to agree. But, finally about two months ago she couldn't stand watching her girls from the press box anymore. She marched out onto the floor during a practice and started correcting freshman's pirouettes without another word. She came to me that night and asked for help.

It was the one of the best nights of my life.

It was like it finally clicked with her. I didn't feel sorry for her; I wasn't trying to buy her. I just wanted her to be happy; I wanted to take care of her. Her biggest fear was that she couldn't give me anything like that in return. When she said that, I recounted the story of when a man from StarStalker came to her door and offered her some money for information about me. I couldn't convey in words how much what she had done then had meant to me. This small gift was nothing in comparison to that moment when she had pushed that envelope back under that door.

I had been trying to tune out the entertainment news people, but as we got closer, the "approved ones" were on the carpet, waiting with their microphones. I held on to Bella tighter.

"Mr. Cullen! Is it true that you aren't planning on making any more movies?"

"Edward, have you really gone back to school!

"Eddie! You're looking sexy tonight!"

"Just ignore them, smile and wave. We'll have to stop up there by the back drop, and I'll have to answer some questions," I told Bella.

"Okay," Bella said seriously. I kissed her temple.

"You two are looking pretty cozy there," one of the reporters said, shoving a microphone in my face.

"Well, she is my girlfriend," I said, stating the obvious.

"Any plans for future movies?"

"Not right now, I'm living in Chicago, and I'm getting ready to go back to school. So I'll be pretty busy with that."

"And what about this pretty lady? You going to get a ring on her finger any time soon?"

I looked down at Bella who was blushing, but still smiling. She gave me a little wink, and I answered the reporter's question.

"We'll see."

To anyone else, that would have been a slap in the face. To Bella, she had to restrain her giggles. It cracked her up that people could ask such personal questions about someone they didn't even know. Besides, she knew I was going to ask her to marry me. She just didn't know when.

She also didn't know that I already had the ring.

Nor was she aware that I already had reservations at a ski lodge in Colorado for this coming Christmas. When I booked the room, I asked the woman on the phone if the snow there was "storm like" or "light and fluffy."

She obviously thought I was nuts, but answered, "Light and fluffy." I told her that was perfect. I was going to take Bella on a walk one evening. I'd hold her hand. And she would know it was coming. I would get down on one knee, and snow would soak through my pants. And I wouldn't care. Because Bella would start to cry as I took her glove off her left hand. The only sounds would be the wind and her crying laughter as I asked her to be my wife. And she'd say yes.

Just like she always dreamed.

We met up with Alice inside the theatre and sat in the balcony seats, way up high. She was busy showing off her engagement ring. She and Jasper had a fall wedding planned. Sarah was going to be their flower girl and Henry, the ring bearer. I think the kids were more excited for this wedding than Alice. Once the movie started, I did the fake stretch with my arms and draped one over Bella' shoulders. Cue the eye roll. She could be as sarcastic as she wanted, but she still snuggled into my side with no regard for her hair. Alice was mortified. The movie was good. It wasn't Oscar worthy, obviously, but it seemed that it was going to be a hit after seeing the crowd's reaction.

Alice, Jasper, Bella and I all rode together to the after party. None of us were looking forward to it that much, but we still had to make an appearance.

As we walked into the over-decorated nightclub, I couldn't help but feel out of place. This wasn't my life anymore. Not my style. Emmett and I would occasionally go to a bar, but other than that, my party days were over. I had once thought I would be sad about that part of my life ending…the non-stop party. But the truth was that I was never happy living that way. And, I had found something so much better than a party.

Bella and I walked around and greeted all the appropriate people. It could be intimidating, talking to all of those people, but she did amazingly well. After about an hour, I could tell Bella was getting weary, but suddenly an idea occurred to me.

"Wait right here. I'll be right back," I told her.

I maneuvered my way back to the DJ and was thrilled to hear that he would comply with my request. He switched the song to "Moonlight Serenade". It was a stark contrast to the hip hop music that had been blaring before. I walked back toward Bella, who was laughing and shaking her head at me.

"Would you like to dance?" I asked her.

"Absolutely," she replied.

Bella's smile widened as I took her hand and led her to the center of the floor. Cameras flashed as we began to twirl. As the music swelled, I took Bella's left hand and silently asked her if we could try again. She nodded. I gently spun her away from me, and I let her twirl herself back into my arms. The crowd clapped for us as Bella whispered in my ear, "Let's get out of here."

She didn't need to tell me twice.

Bella never ceased to amaze me. I was astounded by her courage and love for the people around her, especially her family. She took care of Sarah and Henry as if they were her own. She and Rosalie were doing much better too. That was mainly due to the fact that Bella had finally told her and Emmett the truth. I held her hand as she tearfully confessed to Emmett what had happened. I didn't think I would ever see Emmett cry, and after that night, I hoped never to see him cry again.

He was really upset about the whole thing, just like I was. He didn't understand why she didn't want to press charges either. But, that was just Bella, I guess. She gave Emmett and Rosalie a few days to think about the whole thing, and then we all got together for dinner and put the whole thing behind us. I was just praying that Mike never showed his face around us again. Mostly because I wouldn't even get a chance at him, Emmett would already have him six feet under, before I would even be able to get in a decent punch.

Bella and I trudged our way back into our hotel. She leaned on me with her eyes closed as we rode in the elevator. I had my arm around her, holding her tight. About half way up, she turned her head to look up at me, "I love you."

"I love you too," I whispered back.

When we got to our floor, Bella shoved away from me and stormed through our door, using the key I didn't know she had with her. Worried that something was wrong, I hurried after her. I closed the door behind me, and as I went to lock it, Bella came out of nowhere and shoved me against the door, pressing her whole body against me, slowly gliding her hands up over my chest, around my neck, and then into my hair.

"Aren't you forgetting something," she purred into my ear.

I had already forgotten my name, so I couldn't even begin to guess what I else I may have forgotten.

She let one hand drop from my hair and reached around to grab the 'do not disturb' sign. She held it up before my eyes. I reached up and took it from her. She moved away from me as I turned around and threw it on the outside door handle.

When I came back into the room, Bella was slowly walking away from me toward the bedroom. I ran after her, but she heard me coming so she started to run too. I caught her around the waist and flopped down on my back on the bed, pulling Bella on top of me, both of us laughing hysterically. My legs were hanging over the edge of the bed, and Bella was moving to straddle me. I grabbed hold of her hips, so she wouldn't fall.

She leaned over me and began kissing my neck. I tilted my head backwards to make it easier for her. She slowly began to undo the buttons on my shirt, her kisses trailed from my chest downward over my stomach, her tongue darting out to taste me. We'd just started, and she was already driving me insane. As she finished opening my shirt, I sat up, bringing her with me. Her legs wrapped around my waist as I began to kiss her deeply.

I stood up, still holding Bella, and gently placed her on her feet. She pushed both my jacket and shirt off my shoulders, taking her time trailing her fingertips over my chest. I caught her left hand just as it passed over my heart. I played with her fingers for a moment, lacing and unlacing them with my own. Bringing her hand to my lips, I kissed her wrist and her palm, and when I released it, she brought her hand to my cheek. My own hands massaged gently up and down her back. I leaned in for another kiss, and when her lips parted beneath mine, I allowed my tongue to sample the sweetness of her mouth. She moaned just a tiny bit, and I was officially a goner.

My hands found the zipper hidden on the side of her dress and began slowly unzipping it, my fingers sliding over the skin now exposed to me. Bella was working on my belt buckle, but I pushed her hands away. "I need to see you. Now. I can't wait any longer," I told her.

Bella took a step back from me and smiled. She lowered her eyes, bit her bottom lip, and then looked up at me through her lowered lashes, as she pushed the gown from shoulders and down her arms, letting it finally pool at her feet. I wondered if she had any idea what she did to me when she did that.

"You're beautiful, Bella," I said, drinking in the sight of her.

She had worn nothing under her dress but a very tiny pair of lace panties, and I couldn't help taking a moment to gaze at her, admiring the view before me. I needed to touch her, to taste her. I had to have her. After quickly removing my pants, I grabbed her almost roughly and flung us into the center of the bed. I wasn't the only impatient one. She was on top of me in an instant, kissing me hungrily. It was moments like these that made me truly believe that I was made just for her. When we were in public, she was always so timid. Our PDAs were never more than just a few quick pecks and some hand holding. That was certainly enough for me. But when we were in bed, making love, I was hers.

Bella hooked her fingers into the waist of my boxers. She pulled them down slowly and tossed them aside. She crawled up my body, but it was my considered opinion that it was time for her to take a break. _My turn._I rolled on top of her and began kissing her breasts, earning another moan. I kissed and licked my way down her stomach and latched onto her panties. Mimicking what she had done to me, I slowly peeled them away and tossed them aside.

I nudged her legs apart, and I began slowly stroking her slit with my fingers, feeling and savoring the wetness there. Bella laid her head softly back on the pillows as she sighed, looking completely content. While the sight of her like this pleased me, I had something a little different in mind tonight.

Kneeling between her legs, I gently ran my fingertips up her body, not towards her breasts, but skimming down her arms. I took both of her hands in mine and pushed them up over her head. I gripped slightly for a moment before releasing them. "Leave them there," I breathed into her ear, making her shiver in pleasure. I wished that I could hold her hands there while I made love to her, but I couldn't risk it. I can become… forceful and the last thing I wanted was to hurt her wrist. Besides, while I loved playing with her fingers, right now I preferred to explore other locations. My hands moved down her arms to cup both of her breasts, my thumbs sweeping across her nipples to tease them into hard peaks. Bella whimpered, and her hips started to move against mine.

I didn't push into her yet. Instead I let the tip move over her slick clit. My eyes flashed to her face as she gasped. I noticed her hands were in fists. She was fighting with all she had not to grab at my hips to push me inside her. But I knew that she wouldn't move her hands, not yet. She enjoyed the feeling of restraint. It was something we both took pleasure in…putting every ounce of trust you had into the hands of the other. There would come a time tonight when it would become too much, but right now she complied.

Although the anticipation was sweet, my need to be joined with her finally overrode my control, and I thrust myself deep within her. She cried out at the sensation, still keeping her hands in place. I began to move within her, slowly at first; but, when she started to thrust her hips up to meet mine, I quickened my pace. My hands gripped the sheets beneath us, trying in vain to ground myself. Her legs came around my waist and pushed me even deeper inside her. We were connected body, heart, and soul. As she began to pant my name, I knew she was close.

Finally she couldn't hold on any more, her hands latched onto my shoulders, and she cried out.

"Open your eyes, Bella," I gasped out.

With a great deal of effort, I saw her eyes slowly open, her lips parted as she sucked in deep, desperate breaths. Her hair was mussed and tangled around her face. She was the epitome of beauty.

Her head flew back against the pillows as I felt her walls start clench around me, but she kept her eyes open. A few mind-blowing thrusts later, and she came. She gasped and panted through her orgasm, but instead of slowing down, she sped up. She was always taking care of me. Her increased thrusts caused my vision to blur and strange growl-like sounds to escape from my lips. I moaned her name as I came inside of her.

She smiled a big shit-eating grin as I collapsed on top of her. She moved her arms from my shoulders and snaked them under my arms hugging my tightly. I buried my head in the crook of her neck, and I smiled into her skin. I pulled out of her and rolled to the side as she reached down and pulled the cover over us. Our legs tangled together as I pulled her close to my chest. She turned her head up and ghosted her lips over mine.

"I love you, Edward," she whispered against my lips.

"I love you too, Bella," I said, claiming her lips with a gentle kiss.

She lowered her head and closed her eyes. I stroked her hair until I felt her breathing even out and her body completely relax.

Our lives may not always be just like the movies. Sure we have our moments, like right now with Bella asleep in my arms. Yes, life was going amazingly well for us. But, we still had bumps, like any normal relationship. For Christ's sake, I argue with Bella at least once a week about the rent. She still insists on paying half. Plus, she drinks milk from the carton, what kinda of girl does that? My point is that she and I are far from perfect. We have to work every day to make our lives together happy. But the payout for that work is beyond anything I could have ever hoped for.

I kissed Bella's forehead, before I, too, drifted into sleep.

*************************

_*sniff* it's over!_

_I'm really sad to see this story go. It was so much fun for me, writing it. Never in a million years did I think I'd be writing and posting a fan fiction... but here I am!_

_There are some people who I need to thank._

_All my ladies over at the forums. Ravyn, Gemma, sandy, vickitori, Lucette, Emmy, barb, and everyone else who took the time to leave a review or post on my thread. It meant the world to me guys, so thank you!_

_and of course, my Supercalfragalicticexpialadcious beta, Val. She made writing this story a blast and she worked so hard for me. All her red penning made my writing make sense so Val, thank you, thank you, thank you, a million times thank you._

_So that's it! I don't plan on a sequel. But I do have another story floating around in my head. I'm just getting ready to finish up my last semester of college so I don't know when I'll have time to write, so don't expect this new story for a while, but I do promise that it will come eventually! *thats what she said*_

_Finally, leave a review for me, this is the last chance and I would love to know what you thought of my little tale! don't forget about twilighted (dot) net. If you're not signed up over there.... go. right now. It's a wonderful site with tons of amazing fan fiction. Okay plug over. Thanks again!_

_~Delta_


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